FATE
by Mome-wrath
Summary: Mostly a Charlie and Claire baesed fic, about their life after 'the peanut' was born. Has a little Jack and Kate as well as the new addition, Shannon and Sayid, in later chapters.
1. fate

Disclaimer: you know the drill. I obviously don't own this show, if I did I wouldn't be writing a fic. about it. P.S. some of the character names be may be spell wrong.

Fate.

The sun began to burn through the back of his shirt as he slowly began to wake up. And with this wakening came the ever tingling sensation in his veins. It started at the tip of his fingers, witch kept a steady beat agenst his arm. It probably even happened in his sleep, he turned his head. The sun hit his eyes in a sharp, bright ray. He squinted agenst the blinding light and freed his hand to shield his face until his eyes got used to the brightness. No use. He buried his head back into his arms and his hand began to twitch again. He tried to ignore it. His head felt heavy, and he was to lazy to lift it. What was the point of getting up? _Your stuck on a beach, might as well make the best of it. Besides, who cares if a sleep all day? Not doing much good stumbling around all the time. well, I did help carry some bags..alright, enough thinking. Go to sleep. _But as he told himself this, the sun grew brighter. The sound of the crashing waves grew louder with every motion. And soon, his ears opened to even more sounds. Crying. A women crying. Faint at first, then grew louder. It was more like screaming. No use in trying to sleep now. His head snapped up. He watched as Jack and Hurly tried to help Claire across the sand. Her face twisted with pain. She stumbled into the sand, no longer able to stand. The two fell beside her as she clutched her swollen stomach and gave a loud cry. He quickly stumbled to his feet and dashed across the sand. He felt the head rush hit him and stumbled again. Didn't care. He scurried to Claire side. Tears rad down her cheeks as jack mumbled something about contractions.

"Dude, is she gonna be ok?" Hurly asked, squinting his dark eye brows agenst the sun. she gave another whimper, her tiny pale hands griping the black cloth over her round abdomen. "Shes going into labor, I think" Jack replied. She gave another scream, louder this time. Her hair had fallen out of its pony tail. He watched as another wave of tears poured down her cheeks. He took one of the tiny hands on her stomach and covered it with his. She squeezed it automatically. All her strength didn't effect him. And for once in his life, it didn't shake. Before he knew it jack was holding a tiny red baby. In any other situation, he probably would have vomited. A smile grew across clair's face, melting away her tears. She let go of his hand and reached out for the tint screaming figure. Jack handed to her reluctantly. She stugled to sit up. He placed his palm firmly at her back and gave her a nudge up. He kept it there as her arms wrapped around the child's flush, trembling body. Her smile beamed brighter then ever before. She giggled silently, in aw. She glanced over at him for a moment, but then back to the baby. He placed his free hand beside its tiny red face, witch had calmed slightly. It reached out and clutched his thumb with tiny red fingers. Claire laughed even more. He was grinning ridiculously and didn't care. This was happiness. This was magic.

he laid on his back, hands behind his head. Staring up at the sky. There were no stars. Just thick black clouds. Soon it would rain, as it did often in this weather. He wondered rather he'd have to get up or not. Suddenly her herd footsteps approaching. He glanced up to see Claire standing above him. He quickly sat up and turned.

"Hey" he muttered, gazing up at her. She sat down. This was the first time he hadn't had to help her. He noticed the baggy loop left in her black tank where the stomach had ben. It now sat limply billowing in the wind. She tugged at the lose cloth uncomfortable, noticing his stair. "Sorry. Just, not used to seeing you without the..you know."

Her nose winkled up as she giggled. He now recognized the heavy line of freckles that had formed across her nose and cheeks. They weren't there when they had first meet. They must of shown up once the stomach left. "So where is he?" Charlie asked, his jaw clinching to the left. "Hes with Hurly. I had to talk him into holding him" she grinned as if it were a secret and pulled at the empty cloth again. "Im guessing you didn't bring any extra pare of...smaller cloths?" he asked, indicating the shirt. "Fraid not" she replied, brushing her fingers through her long blond hair. Her gaze wondered off to the fire, where most of the group sat. past Hurly attempting to start a conversation with the baby, past Sayid staring at the contents of the small envelop she had retrieved to Jack and Kate, who stood father off from the campfire together. "What do you think of those two?" she whispered, leaning her head very close to his. "What? Jack and Kate? I think its obvious."

"That they like each other?"she confirmed, tilting her head slightly.

"I guess some things are just meant to be" he replied, putting one hand behind his head as he leaned back agenst a tire.

"Funny how it takes an entire plain crash just to put those two together" she commented thoughtfully.

"That's fate" he replied, his engraved finger trembled agenst his chest as he spoke. She noticed the writhing for the first time and smiled. "I bet you know a lot about fate" she said, doing that little secretive grin again. "Oh this? That was just kind of pointless" he shrugged. No use in getting her into a deep philosophical conversation. _That's no fun. Keep it funny. Girls like laughing. What do you know about girls? _"Besides, the whole point in fate is not knowing about it."

"Yeah, I guess that was kind of a dumb question" she said, leaning back on one hand. "Not at all" he assured, giving her another silly grin. Quiet for a moment. She turned to him once again to speak, but a small strained of hair blew in her face and distracted her. He shifted at attention, despretly waiting for her question. She sat with her mouth slightly open, ready to speak, her eyes shifting as if she were trying to read the question in her mind. She smiled and tilted her head. "I'm sorry. I was about to ask you something. But I don't remember" she explained, laughing a bit.

"That's alright. Ask me again when it comes to you." he replied, pulling his keens up to his chest. The wind blue, sanding an awkward chill over them. He berried his toes into the sand, trying to warm him. "What's that?" she asked, squinting at his one bare foot. "Oh, that's my tattoo" he replied, suddenly aware that he was missing a shoe. He shifted his foot around in the remaining checkered shoe. No sign of the baggy. _This is bad. This is very bad. _"Two stars. Why two stars?" she asked, pushing the hair out of her face. "Uh. Again, random." he replied, trying to hide any sign of panic. "Oh great" she sighed all of a sudden, as she tried to pull herself up. "What's wrong?" he said, standing with her. "Call of nature" she replied, some what embarrassed. "Ah, well-"he nodded, brushing his hair back. "Yeah. I guess I'll see you later." "Yeah, buy" he gave her a nod and a little wave. Trying to play it off as he walked slowly closer to the water, hands in pockets, witch were defiantly empty. He waited until she had disappeared into the woods to go in search of the missing shoe. He wondered the island for a few minutes, trying to trace his foot steps. When had he lost it? It was hard to tell seeing that he hadn't realized it until now. He dug his nails into his scalp, trying to force his brain to focus by holding it still. It was no use. For all he knew it might of gotten caught up in a wave. "Damn it!" he muttered to himself, giving a heavy sigh. Just as he said this he became aware of the conversation in the distance. Claire seemed to be heading back down to find him, but the bald man called Locke had stopped her. "Excuse me, do you know who this belongs to?" he asked, holding out a small white object in one hand. "Oh, that's Charlie's" she replied. He then became very aware of what the object was. His lost shoe. "Ill give it to him" she said, with a smile. She began to approach him, carrying shoe in one hand. She gave a little run and was infront of him with in seconds. "Charlie, look" she said with a huge grin, holding out his shoe. He took it in his palm and quickly tilted, to check and see if maybe the bag was still there. "It is your's isn't it?" she asked, rasing one eye brow. "Yeah, its mine. Thanks" he replied, shaking off his panic. "Ok. Good." she replied, before lowering herself onto one of the abandoned tires. The man stared at him with bold black eyes. _He knows. _"How'd you lose it?" she asked, squinting up at him. Every one else seemed as if they were about to go to sleep. "I...I don't know" he replied distantly, the man wasn't staring any more. That was good. He leaned down and slid the shoe back onto his bare foot. He gave Clair a quick smile to try and duskiest his panic. "So what are you doing?" she asked, smiling back. She really knew how to smile. "Uh...looking for you, actually" nice. Very smooth. Her grin widened. "Really?" she beamed, some what embarrassed.

"Yeah. Claire where the parties at" her cheeks turned pink. His grin grew. Suddenly Hurly came stumbling over, hopping through the sand in his bare feet. "Hey, clair. Uh, here the baby. I think every one's had a good share of the love for today" he said, holding the screaming infant in one arm, wrapped in an over sized shirt. "Oh. Here-"she said, taking the baby in her arms. "Alright, well-bye" he said, giving a Macamic wave then scurrying off. "So this is him, him right?" he asked, feeling a bit bad for not remembering. "Yeah. This is him" she said, beaming. The baby stopped crying as soon as she took it. Its eyes now grew wide with wonder. A tiny hand gripped her flowing blond hair. She giggled.

"Do you want to-?" she asked suddenly, indicating he took the baby. "Oh! No, that's alright. Let him spend some time with mom" he said, smiling. She looked back to the baby, relived. She walked over to one of the discarded tires witch had turned into a very nice sitting place for the two of them, and took a seat. He sat down beside her and examen the tiny wiggling child concealed in her arms. Big blue eyes, blond whippy hair. He looked a lot like his mom. Charlie began to wonder what part of him looked like his dad. _Who was his dad? _

"Isn't he cut?" she asked, wrinkling up her nose. "Yeah! Adorable. Just like his mum" he replied, unconsciously laying one hand on her bare shoulder. Her skin was cold. "Are you cold?" he asked, suddenly concerned. "Oh, no. not really-"she shrugged modestly, but it was to late. He had already begun to remove the black jacket. "I guess a little" she admitted. "Here" he said, warping the jacket around her shoulders. He left one hand at its previous resort, rested on her left shoulder. The other lowered back down to his own thigh, to continue its steady beat. The baby's eyes slowly lowered shut. "I think he's sleepy" she whispered, still grinning.

"Dose he have a name yet?"

"No, not yet" she replied, shaking her head.

They sat silently for a moment. The sun had already set. Almost every one was asleep, off by the fuselodge in the distance. She laid her head back on his shoulder, something he wasn't expecting. He shuddered at the sudden contact and she lifted her head to look at him. He smiled, letting her know it was alright. She laid her head back down and soon fell asleep.


	2. withdraw

Disclaimer: don't own em. P.S. dose use some aspects of the tv plot, but not in order. Some character names may be spell wrong.

Fate:

Withdraw

he woke suddenly to the sound of screechings. His eyes shot open quickly and he glanced over at Claire, still beside him, strugling with the baby. "What's wrong?" he asked, his words slurred together. "I don't know" she pouted hopelessly. The blanketed figures be gand to resale, being awoken by the cries. Soyer sat up, clearly agrivateed. "Can you please shut that thing up?" he groaned without opening his eyes. "Sorry." she said, despretly trying to calm the child. aggravated, she lifted him up over her shoulder and began to walk. He jumped up after her. "Where are you going?" Charlie asked, catching up to her. "I don't want him to wake every one up" she said, keeping a quick pace as she walked. They headed a long distance from the camp sight and stopped at the edge of the jungle. She plopped down on the sand and laid the baby on his back. He watched as the baby continued to scream, reaching up ward as she unzipped the jacket. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously as she let the sleeves drop past her shoulders. "I think he's hungry" she replied, tugging at the think strap on her over sized tank top. He suddenly came very aware of what she was doing and looked away quickly. With no shame she casually lifted the screaming baby back up and let him do his thing. "Is this makeing you uncomfortable?" she asked sarchasticly. "No, no. not at all." he replied, covering his eyes partially. "well trust me, I'm way more uncomfortable than you." she replied, giggling. "Atleast he's not crying" Charlie added, after a quick moment of silent. "Yeah. Thank goodness. There, I think hes done" she said, lifting him away from her and pulling the strap back up. "You can open your eyes now" she whispered, sarchasticly leaning forward.

"You know, if you wanted to get some sleep I could take him for a while. Although, I don't really know what I'll do if her gets hungry again" he offered. "That's quite alright. I doubt I'll be able to go to sleep any ways. I'd worry to much"

"You don't trust me?" he replied, sarchasticly.

"No, its not that. It's the maternal in stinks. I worry about every thing. Bloody exhausting!" she said laughing. "Alright then, it'll be my job to keep you company" he offered, scooting closer to her. "Is it really that much work?" she asked, playfully. "No, but it will be if you keep taking your top off without warning me first" he smirked. She laughed again. He got some kind high from makeing her laugh. Better than the drugs. _How could this be legal? _He began to realize that he hadn't thought about the drugs for a long time. He was shook out of his train of thought when he notice Jack standing over them. "What's up, Doc?" he asked, stareing up at him. "I just wanted to make sure you and the baby were doing ok" Jack said to Claire, completely ignoring him. "Oh yeah. Were fine. Just feed him, actually. Think he's ready to sleep again" she explained. "Ok good. I herd him crying. Just, you know. Checking" he repeated. "Thanks" she replied, giving me a quick glance. He nodded and began to walk off, but then stopped and turned back. "Theres a little spring, kind of like a water fall, out in the woods. You should probably take him up there tomorrow to was up. Don't want him getting sick" he suggested. "No, we don't want that" she agreed, although she was speaking to the baby, not him. "Alright, me and Charlie will head up there soon as sun up" she agreed, speaking for him. He didn't mind. "Alright, good. See you later then" he said before walking off again. She grinned and turned to Charlie as soon as he walks away. "I think I make him nervous." she said, with confidence. "Whys that?" he asked, raising an eye brow. "I don't know. Because I'm motherly. Because until a few hours ago I was pregnet, and now I have a baby. I think it intimidates him" she explained. "How could any one be intimidated by you? Your so-"he teased, strugling for the right word. "What?" she asked, jokingly, as if the phrase had already offended her. "Innocent" he finished. She burst into laughter. "Innocent! Really?" she said, still laughing. "Yeah." he replied, nodding. "Or maybe pretty girls just make him nervous" he suggested.

"He seems to be fine with Kate" she argued, glance back at where the two stood now.

"Well, Kate's a nice looking lady and all but she's nothing compared to you" he complemented.

She blushed again, and looked away. Her smile shining. _Drugs? Who needs drugs? I've got Claire. _

The next morning the three of them had headed off into the woods. They had made it to the little spring, witch was actually a rather large water fall, before most of the group had woken up. "Well, here we are" Charlie smirked, as he helped her up onto one of the rocks. she tugged the little black band she'd been wearing in her hair out, letting it fall all over the place. She laid the baby down gently on the rock while she got situated. She had a large baby bag full of stuff from the plain, including some cloths for the baby and herself as well. The child eyed her as she laid down the bag. Charlie sat down across from her and began moving stuff as well. "Man, your loaded" he mused at the abundance of baby supplies witch her expelling from the bag. "I wanted to make sure that if anything happened, I'd be prepared" she deafened herself, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "I suppose that's a good thing" he suggested, casually. She lifted the baby off his back and held him out infront of her. "Here, you take him for a sec." she suggested, suddenly, shoving him into Charlie's arms. Caught off gard, he fumbled to hold him. "Mums going for a swim" she added, before she began to slip into the water. The baby grabbed at his nose curiously. He had to crain his neck to avoid the tiny fingers from invading his nostrils. "Hello there" he joked, uncomfortably. She giggled up at them as she waded in the small pool. The access fabric of her shirt floated on the surface of the water, leaving her mid-drift exposed under the clear water. Her tried to ignore it. "Could you hand me that soap?" she said, pointing to a small wrapped square on the rock. "You don't plain to bathe do you?" he questioned, reaching for the soap whilst juggling the baby in one arm. "Why not? its hygienic. Besides, I probably smell awful" she protested, tacking the soap from him and preceding to wash the outer part of her arms. He tried his hardest to look away as she moved the soap across her skin, but it was hopeless. _Its soap, think clean thoughts Charlie. _He sighed uncomfortably and forced himself to look away. It took all his strength and will power not to look! "Are you uncomfortable again?!" she asked with disbelief. "Oh not at all. I'm quite at ease when watching beautiful women wash themselves" he replied, some what dazed. She grinned. "Well I'm done now" she added, placing the soap back on the edge of the rock. "Damn" he replied, with a smirk. She laughed again. "Give him here" she instructed, reaching her arms out to take the baby. He carefully handed him to her. The babies face lit up as soon as he was in her arms. She bobbed with him tucked in her arms, smiling. He began makeing grilled baby sounds as the grin on his face grew wider. Tiny limbs began to splash agenst the water. The three began laughing.

"You know, you can join us if you like" she suggested, tapping the water with her hand as if it were an empty seat. "Nah, I prefer to bath alone mostly" he shrugged. "Oh come on!" she protested. But he refused with a smile. "Fine, if your not getting in then atleast help me out. Here, take him again" she insisted, handing him the baby. He juggled the baby in the curve of his right arm, while reaching out the left to help her up. He pulled her up onto the rock. They now sat facing each other, inches away. A small breeze blew by. The perfect opportunity. Their eyes closed instinctively as the leaned in slowly, dramatically. There lips had barely touched when the trees surrounding the little fall began to rustle violently. The two jumped, startled. "We better go" he proclaimed. He lifted her to her feet and helped her down the rocks as quickly as possible, griping her upper arm to support her while holding the baby in the other. They ran through the woods, bare foot, fast as they could. The tress twitched and snapped behind them. Finally they reached shore and turned back to see nothing. Jack came running up to them. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked, out of breath. "Yeah" Claire nodded, assuring him. "That thing looked like it was right behind you" Said chimed in, popping up beside him. "It was. But were ok" Charlie explained, continuously glancing at Claire to make sure she was alright. She was out of breath, but so was he. The baby began to cry. A pout grew across her face. The whole island seemed to be stareing at them as if they had committed some heinous crime. "Come on, Claire. Lets go get some water" he suggested, putting one arm on her shoulder. He tried his best to keep a stern expression, wishing he could look every one who glared back in the eye to prove he'd done nothing wrong. But still, he felt he had. Later that night, he laid flat on his back only a foot away from her. She slept on her side beneath a air line blanket, the baby nestled close to her stomach in a nest of three more. Him temples pounding. He couldn't stop think of that creature, and what may have happened to Claire they hadn't gotten her out of there in time. Or if something had happened to the baby. What if they never broke the kiss? They'd both me dead. The kiss, he remembered suddenly. He was so busy worrying about the danger he had put her in, he'd forgotten it. How could he do that? Kiss some one so pure an innocent without telling her who he really was and how all he really wanted was a quick fix from that little bag he'd ben smuggling to L.A. lieing to her like that was something she didn't deserve. His fingers twitched frantically agenst the sand. But Lock had it know, and god knows what he's done with it. There was no way he could just ask for it back. His skin itched terbly, like an infection was slowly taking over his entire body. The prickly feeling seeping up from his toes and finger tips through his veins. Up thruh his arms and legs and meant some wear in his gut, sending a sharp pain to his stomach. He cringed. Withdraws. Once it hit the stomach, it shot up his spine faster than lightning and into his skull, filling it with a blinding pain. He jolted up quickly, griping his skull in the palm of his hands. He felt as if he were being burned in flames on the outside but his insides were ice. His body shivered and sweated, and every thing, every thing itched. He took deep, heavy breaths, trying to sooth himself. The tingling started up in his fingers again, shooting thrush his system like a bullet, sending another heavy blow to his abdomen. He doubled over just as the pain shot up to his brain again, the hit worse then last time. The quick blow as if some one had punched him bare knuckled in the face and the back of the head at the same time. He literally couldn't see for a few seconds. His vision was blurred saverly from both tears and sweat. He moved his shanking hands from his face, blood from his nostrils dripping onto his clammy palms. Tears rolled down his flushed cheeks. Claire shifted in her sleep, giving a soft whimper. He couldn't let her see him like this. Using every ounce of strength in his body, he stood and made a mad dash to the woods. He couldn't see or run correctly. His Musales twitched in every section of his body. His legs shook uncontroably. The vessels in his eyes pulled tight as the warm tears...maybe even blood filled the rheims. He staged aimlessly through the trees and into the darkness where he stumbled to his knees. His hands trembling as he began vomiting. It was almost impossible to see, but he could clearly here the trees rustling around him. He couldn't run now, couldn't even stand.


	3. the missing

Disclaimer: you know the drill. I don't own them, some names are spelled wrong, I tried to fix them but I probably missed a few so bare with me.

Fate:

The Missing

Claire awoke in the morning to the blazing heat. Her eyes squinted open slowly. She glanced down at the baby still sleeping beside her and smiled as she brushed her hand across his soft blond strands. She then notice the pare of cargos standing infront of her. She squinted up at him to see Sayid. "Where is Charlie?" he asked, sternly. She glanced over her shoulder, confused. "I don't know. I just woke up" she explained, squinting up at him. He sighed with aggravation and whipped a bead of sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Hurly popped up beside him. "Did you find him?" he questioned, a look of worry on his face. "No, and she doesn't know were he is" Sayid explained, clearly upset. "I don't get it. What's going on?" she asked, shifting so she was sitting on her knees. "Come on, lets go tell jack" Hurly suggested, looking her straight in the eye but ignoring her before the two walked off. _What the hell is going on? _She gathered up the sleeping bundle and got to her feet. The two had headed back to the fuselodge. She stomped over there, baby in arms. Jack, Kate, Sayid, Hurly and Locke were discussing something, but stopped when they noticed her standing before them. "Would some one like to tell me what's going on?" she asked, as sternly as she could without showing the worry she was truly feeling. "Claire-"Kate began to say, sympotheticly, but was cut off by the Sayid. "He's missing" he stated, still agitated. "we saw Sowyer run off into the woods last night, and he hasn't come back sense." Jack explained, keeping that factual, cold tone a doctor uses when he tells you some one you love just died. That made her panic even worse. "What dose that have to do with Charlie?" she asked. The group exchanges glances with each other, eyeing her sympathetically. "Well?!" she demanded. Her arms shook with fear, wakening the baby. He didn't cry, but began to stir and look around. "We found this, a few nights ago, in the shoe Charlie was wearing" Jack said after a long hesitation, holding out the tiny bag of brown powder. Her expression shifted from frustration to upset. "What's that?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Heroin."Kate explained, the most sympathetic of all. The baby began babbling as she put down her head. Her chin trembled. Eyes watering. "And now he's-"she began to ask. "Gone" Locke finished, plainly. "My guess is he's looking for more" Jack added.

"Why haven't you sent any one out to look for him?"she asked, to scared and worried to cry. "We weren't sure" said tried to explain. "But you know where his is now. Why aren't you looking for him?!" she demanded, raising her voice more then she meant to. "Last night, that creature came closer to the island. Its to dangerous" Jack explained, again, factual and cold. No emotion. She sniffed, shaking her head. Kate moved next to her, eyes wide and sad. She wanted to be camphorating. "He needs to figure this out on his own" she said, putting her arm around her. "No. He needs help. And if your not gonna do it, I will" Claire protested, now it was her voice that was cold. With that, she marched off. Jack came running up behind her. "I can't allow you to go out there alone" he said, catching up to her. "Then come with me" she suggested, without stopping or looking at him. "I can't do that either" he explained. "Why not. You can go off to find water or chase some hallucination but not when some ones life is at risk?" she argued. "Look, Claire. You have a child to take care of-"he began to lecture but stopped when he realized that she had already stopped as well.

"Excuse me" she said to Rose, completely ignoring him. "Yes, dear?" the women replied, sitting in one of the broken flight chairs. "Would you mind watching my son until I come back?" she asked. "Of corse the women agreed with a smile. "You can't do this" Jack protested, gabbing her arm to get her attention. "What makes you think you're the leader here, jack? Because you're the doctor? That may make you a hero but that doesn't mean you can tell people what to do!" she snapped. "Im not doing this for you, im' doing it for your son" he explained, firmly. "My son will be fine" she assured. "What if you don't come back? What if that thing gets you? You'll be dead, and so will he. And I'm sorry, but I'm not loseing any one else" he protested, stareing her dead in the eye. She wanted to fight back but knew he was right. She sighed, the tremble in her chin returned. she looked away from him as a tear ran down her cheek. He stood infront of her, not knowing what to do.

That after noon she tried her best to relax. She had wondered off to the place she had slept the night before, to be away from the rest of the island. The baby had dosed off in her arms, and she set now on the sand, thinking. Thinking about what might have happened to Charlie. He was either out doing drugs of getting killed. Thinking about how he'd deceived her. Lied to her. Lead her on. Then again, she'd never _asked _if he did drugs, or anything about his past. Perhaps he was to scared of what she would think of him if he had told her. And here she was, judging him. Accusing him without knowing his cause. Maybe when he came back he would talk to her. If he did come back. He probably knew the heat was on. Drugs do make people paranoid, or so she'd herd. He probably planed to hide some where, if he was in fact alive. She choked at the thought. Sudenyl she heard a rustling in the leaves a few feet away. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a figure standing behind them. The man turned away, back into the leaves as soon as she hand spotted him. _Charlie?_ With that she stood and made her way to where Kate sat buy the water, stareing out into the waves. "Kate, would you mine watching him for a bit?" Clair asked, standing over her. A look of worry wondered onto Kate's expression. "Where are you going?" she asked, trying not to accuse her. "Call of nature" Claire replied, "kind of hard to go when your juggling a baby". "alright, sure" Kate agreed, smiling. Clair handed her the baby and her bag. "I'll be back in a flash" she assured. Kate nodded in response and she headed off. She crept through the woods, checking over her shoulder every few seconds to make sure no one was fallowing her. Whispering Charlie's name. Something mover past one of the trees, a figure. "Charlie?" she asked, out loud, peering past it. A hand touched her shoulder. she jumped at the touch and turned to face him. "Looking for something, sweat heart?" Sowyer questioned smugly, some how impressed that he had startled her. _Scaring a mother who's alone in a dark woods full of monsters, congratulations. _"Yeah, have you sceen Charlie?" she asked, not showing her disappointment. He smirked. "What, did doctor hero let you go? No, of corse not. Let me guess, he doesn't know" he said, whispering sarchasticly. She was in no mode for sarcasm. "No. He doesn't, witch is why I have to find Charlie before he finds me. So can you help me or not?" she said, ignoring his stupid remarks. "Well, well, well. And here I was thinking you were the sweat on one this island" he joked once again. Agrivateed, she nudged past him. "Wait" he replied, putting an arm across her to stop her. "I saw him, about an hour or so ago" he admitted, the smile whipped of his face. He was being serious. "Where?" she asked, sternly. "Looked pretty bad, think something might have nicked him." he continued, ignoring her. "Where was he?" she repeated, about half ready to give up. "Woo, calm down sweat heart. I'll tell you where your man is...for a price" he attempted to negotiate. She shook her head and tried once again to nudge past him. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "You'll never find him without me" he explained, getting some great pleasure out of the power he had over her situation. "I won't find him with you either" she replied, again trying to move forward. He kept a firm grip. "Get off me" she said, not angrily, more sheepishly. "Make me" he whispered, leaning very close to her face. She clained her head back, trying to struggle away from him. Suddenly she heard a cough come from behind a rock a few yards away, fallowed by some choking. "Charlie" she stated, succeeding this time to walk past him. He was laying on his back, eyes closed, the blood dried to the rim of his nostrils, gagging helplessly. A look of fear fell over her expression. She brushed his matted hair away from his face, trying to calm him. The gaging slowed into easy pants and his eyes eased open. "Claire?" he managed to mummer before entering another coughing faze. He turned his head away from her as he chocked on air. "What did you give him?" she demanded, shooting Soyer an angry glare as she continued to camphorate Charlie. "What?" he asked, now standing right infront of the rock. "The drugs, what did you give him?" she clarified. "I didn't give him any drugs. What made you think that?" he replied, defensively. "Never mind" she said softly, turning her attention back to Charlie. She brushed his hair back again, letting her hand run down to the side of his cheek. He wrapped his hand around hers as the coughing eased. He peered up at her with misty eyes. For a moment, his body was entirely still except for the slow rise and fall of his chest. He then broke in a short sob, sitting up half way and resting his for head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed the back of his head. "Jesus H Christ" Sowyer sighed, looking away from them in disgust. "Help me get him back to the camp" she suggested, her voice weak. "No way, sweat heart, your own your own" he replied, putting his hands up as if surrendering. "Please" she choked, tears streaming down her cheeks. "What's in it for me?" he questioned, selfishly. She stared up at him blankly. The light shining in through the trees slowly began to disappear.

The wind had picked up saverly and the sky was a pale gray. A storm was defonetly coming. Kate stood at the edge of the water in the wet sand, rocking the screaming baby. She kept glancing at the woods continuously, waiting for Claire to emerge and stop him from crying. "Kate?" Jack huffed, popping up behind her. She turned to him, slightly startled. He eyed the bundle in her arms, confused. " Wheres Claire?" he asked, rasing an eye brow. "She said she was going to the bath room. That, was about twenty minutes ago" she complained sarchasticly. He glanced at the woods, then back at her. It hit him. "Oh god. She's gone to look for him" he announced. Thunder rolled over head. "You better go find her before that storm rolls in" Kate suggested. "I think it already has" he replied before turning to head of to the woods. The rain began to pore as he ran through the sand, headed towards the woods. He was only a few yards from the opening when he saw Claire and Sowyer emerge, Charlie's arms flung over the shoulders. He was gaging heavily, his body convulsing. He dropped to his knees as soon as they hit the sand and doubled over, throwing up. Jack bolted the rest of the way, Kate now scurrying to cath up. Claire knelt down beside him while Sowyer backed away. Saide, Hurly, Boone and Shannon all gathered around. Jack knelt infront of him, trying to lift his head up. He gave a heavy sigh, his eyes rolled shut. His body seemed to go limp. "Oh my god. Is he ok?" Shannon questioned, aboserveing in shock. "I don't think so" Boone replied, sarchasticly. "Charlie, look at me" Jack instructed, holding his face in the palm of his hands. The lids of his eyes looked bruised, as if some one hand given him two black eyes. "Charlie!" he yelled, trying to get his attention. It was know use, he was out. "Help me get him up" he ordered. Bone, Saide and Hurly rushed to lift him. They carried him into one of the tents and laid him down on a plie of blankets and lugadge. His body shook and his eye lids twitched, but that was the only sign of life. "Some one get me some water" Jack instructed.

Boone ran out of the opening to find some. Jack pulled at the caller of his shirt. His neck was covered in red streaks from him clawing at the skin. He then continued to lift one of his hands. The skin was cold and clammy, the tips of his fingers the caller of ash. His nails looked like they'd half ben ripped off. "Come here" he instructed, indicating Shannon. "Put your fingers here and press down" he ordered, taking her middle and index figure and placing it firmly on his wrist."count every time the vain moves" he added, moving back to his neck. She began counting silently, nodding with each beat and mouthing the number. "Hold on, dose any one have a watch?" he asked. "Yeah" hurly replied. "Ok, set it to one minute" he instructed. Hurly fumbled with the watch for a few seconds. "Ok" he replied. "Alright, now go" he told Shannon. She began counting once again. "Is there anything I can do?"Saide asked, standing behind Jack. "Yeah. Find me a rag or a piece of cloths, run it under the rain. We need to cool him off." Jack explained. Said walked out just as Boone returned with two water bottles in his hands. Jack took one of the bottles, twisted off the cap and held it to his lips. Unable to swallow, he gagged. "That's one minute" Hurly announced, holding his watch. "Ninety-seven beats" Shannon added. Jack nodded in response. Kate and Claire watched from the opening in the tent. "Here" Kate said softly, handing her the screaming baby. Claire held him agenst her chest. His cries faded slowly in her arms. He was calm and content once again. She stared of into Charlie's browned eyelids. Rocking the child rythmicly, instinctively in her arms. If only she could heal Charlie the way she healed him. Sayid rushes back in and placed the drenched white scrap of cloth across Charlie's fore head. The room fell silent except for the sounds of gagging and the heavily falling rain. Jack studied every inch of his body, hopelessly. Looking for some unnamed sign that would help him know what to do. Sowyer watched from the corner, arms crossed with a grin. "What are you smiling about?" Sayid asked, standing beside him, arms crossed as well. "I think hes over reacting" Sowyer replied with a snicker. "Its not funny. He's dieng because of you" Kate threatened softly. "Me? What did I do?" he questioned, offended. "What ever you gave him, its killing him" she confirmed, her voice shaky. "how many times do I have to tell you people? I didn't give him any drugs!" he yelled, wavering his hands angrily. "What?" she asked, confused. "do I look like a god damn drug dealer to you?" responded quizitivly. She eyed him for a moment, silently. "You didn't give him anything? At all?" she tried to confirm. "No" he repeated, annoyed. "Then what the hells wrong with him?" Hurly asked. "Its not an overdoes. Its withdraws" Jack concluded, not knowing what else to do. He sighed and stood to his feet, brushing his hands. "You all should probably leave, let him rest. Theres not much more we can do for him." Jack suggested. Soyer was the first to go, Sayid fallowing close behind. Shannon, Boone and Hurly headed out the other way. Jack began to pin up the opening behind them. "You should probably stay here with him, incase he wakes up" Jack suggested, turning back to Claire. She nodded, agreeing with him. He handed her a blanket and walked out, Kate fallowed behind him. Claire kneeled down beside him, pulling the blanket around her self. His body was still now. Not coughing, not shaking, just still. She scooted as close as she could to him, running her fingers trough his hair. She stayed awake for most of the night. But eventually, sleep took over and she drifted off beside him.


	4. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I don't own lost . The names are fixed, I think. Also, to every one who commented, JessiOnTheMoon

Shanelover1

AA Battery

I did get them but I haven't exactly figured out how to reply. So until then thanks for the tips, they really do help. I love you! Again, sorry about the name spelling, I tried to go back and fix the ones I spelled wrong but I may have missed one or two. This is the last, if any usage issues you may encounter cuz from now on I promise to read over form now on and make sure it all makes since. Thanks again.

Fate

Aftermath

Charlie woke up suddenly. The air around him was cold. He studied the room, confused . He couldn't remember how he got in the tent or where he was before that. His head ached and his whole body felt weighted. The blanket around him hand ben kicked down to his knees. He notice Claire, sleeping upright beside him. It all rushed back. The pain, the gagging. Claire finding him in the woods, half dead. _She must hate me. _He stared up at the sealing and gave a loud. Startled by the sound, her eyes flickered open. He glanced over at her, realizing she was awake. A smile spread across her face. He wished he could smile back, but something inside him wouldn't allow him to do it. He turned his head from her, stareing up at the top of the tent. "I'm sorry" he muttered, his voice low and raspy. "Why?" she blinked, her voice carried the same volume, but softer, sadder. "For lieing to you. For not telling you sooner." he explained, he turned his head completely away from her. If she cried he would never forgive himself. "Charlie. I understand why you didn't tell me." she confessed, placing her palm on the side if his cheek. He stare at the tarp-wall infront of him, holding back all emotion. "Charlie, please look at me" she begged, her voice creaked. She had probably staid up all night watching him. He forced himself to look at her. There were no tears in her eyes, only relief. Her finger tips barely touching the skin of his cheek. He sat up almost instinctively and took her hand in his. They leaned in at once and kissed. All the thoughts dispread. The pain, the aching, all faded away. They parted after a moment, Claire smiled shyly, her cheeks turned pink. Charlie's grin, on the other hand, was a dazed one. Pure bliss, better than any drug. He reclined back agenst the pile of luggage. He glanced over at her, grinning like a fool. Her smile grew as she looked away from him, to embarrassed to look him in the eye. He patted her hand, witch was still covered in his. She glanced back at him and began laughing. Although he didn't know why, he laughed with her. She took a deep breath to stop her self, resting her head on his shoulder. He pulled his arm around her, the other rested at his side. And for once his fingers didn't tap or shake. They were still, content, at ease. And so was he. Trough the tiny opening in the tent that had worked as a door, he could see everyone was still awake, although it was clearly dark. The flames from the fuselodge flickered high into the dark blue sky, leaving everything behind it blurred. Almost as if they'd crossed through some sci-fi porthole and if they walked through that space, they'd be home. The sky itself was pretty clear, strange because most nights it was either flooding with rain, or just a big black blob. The air smelled good, too. For the last few nights it had stunk with the smell from the bodies being burned, but that had all faded. The flame gave off no sent. Just the smell of the ocean, clean, salty air. In the distance, he could hear loud laughter. A part of him was filled with a sudden burst of energy. He wanted to hope up and join them. Another part was calm, perfectly content with being where he was. Although, he knew he wouldn't sleep. He had been in and out of sleep all day. Though, it wasn't restful. Full of nightmare type sleeps that kept you on your toes even when you were seapoose to be resting, and haunted you when you woke up. The exact content of the dreams, he couldn't remember, but the feeling stuck with him. He had no need to rest, he only slept to dream any ways. And this was better than any crazy dream his conscious could think up. Claire stirred suddenly as another round of laughter swelled up. Her eyes flickered open and she glanced around. Finally, her eyes met his. She smiled, then looked out the "door" at the big gathering. "What are they doing?" she asked, tiredly. "Who knows. Just having a good time, I guess" he replied, once again longing to find out exactly what it was they were doing. Claire must have had the same idea, because she tugged at his arm and tilted her head towards the door, indicting that they'd go join them. He hopped up and walked out with her. As they walked through the sand, her slight ahead of him, leading him, their hands attache gently, he became very nervous. They all knew what had happened. They knew about the drugs and saw him at his weakest moment.

Claire hadn't judged him, but that didn't mean no one else was going to. Kate was standing with her back to them, holding the baby agenst her chest. He spotted Claire and screamed with delight, stretching out his chubby arms to reach for her. Kate turned and smiled when she saw Claire. They made the exchange, passing him to Claire. He squalled again and grabbed at her face with his tiny hand. "I think he missed you" Kate laughed. "You think?" Claire joked, her vice muffled from him grabbing at her mouth. Kate was ignoring him, she hadn't even acknowledged his presence. He didn't blame her. _What did you say to someone after you just watched them nearly convulse to death? _"Theres plenty of food over there" Kate explained, indicating a broken piece of the plain wing laid across some debree, witch now served as a table and was literly covered in food. "Lock, Sayid and Michael headed out there earlier today and caught a big one" she elaborated, admiring the food. Claire's eyes light up at the sight of it. Charlie, on the other hand couldn't bare the thought of eating. Although most of his withdraw-centimes had faded, he still felt that if he ate anything, he'd throw up. Better he stayed away from it. "You should defonetly go eat." Kate suggested, tying not to sound worried. He wasn't quite sure why she'd be worried about Claire, but he since it in her voice. Claire nodded and headed of towards the food. Kate gave Charlie a little nod as well, before walking away. He stood, watching the others mingle, trying not to be offended by the absence of attention he was getting. He plopped down on a stay tire and watched as Kate approached Jack, smiling at the conversation. Locke and Sayid seemed to be playing a game of cards. Where they found the deck, he didn't know. Rose ,Boone, Sowyer and Shannon all sat around a smaller fire, talking. Every one seemed strangely happy. He was startled by the sudden movement of Vincente, the dog, plopping down beside him. The dog pouted and laid its head on his lap, begging, most likely for food. "Sorry kid, no food here" he explained, feeling a bit silly talking to the dog. The dog made a strange sound, disappointed, and lifted his head up. He panted happily, despite the lack of food. Charlie couldn't help but laugh. At least someone was paying attention to him. "Vincent, leave that man alone. He don't got no food" Walt ordered, popping up before the two suddenly. "Its alright, he's not bothering me" Charlie defended. "Oh, ok then" Walt shrugged. "So what's wrong with you?" he asked, continuing to stand beside the dog, hands in his pockets. "What do you mean?" Charlie asked, a bit confused. "They said you were missing, then they said you were sick" he explained casually. He had no clue. "Uhh...I don't know rely" Charlie replied, not knowing what else to say. "Oh. Well I hope you feel better, Mr.?"he shrugged, trailing the end of his sentence. "Charlie" He replied. "Mr Charlie?" Walt questioned. "No. Just Charlie" he corrected. "Ooh. Ok, Charlie. Theres a kid who went to my school named Charlie." Walt explained. "Really?" Charlie asked, trying to show some interest. "Yeah, but I don't like him much" Walt added.

"Why not?"

"Hes an ass"

"Oh" Charlie laughed.

"Where'd you go to school?" Walt asked, kneeling down to pet Vincent, who was panting frantically. "Um, I went J.R. elementary" Charlie replied, having to think for a moment to remember the name. "Wheres that?" Walt asked. "Manchester" He answered, plainly.

"Oh. Is that in England?"

"Yep"

"I thought so. So what do you do now?" he asked, the kid had a thirst for knowledge. "I'm in a band" he explained, some what happy to get that information out. "Cool." Walt replied, not to amazed by the subject. "What grade are you in?" Charlie asked, turning the tables. "Fith" Walt replied, negatively. "I remember when I was in fith grade. I hated fith grade" Charlie explained. "Yeah, it sucks" Walt agreed. "Hey, Walt. What are you doing" Michael asked, walking up behind him. "Nothing. Just talking to Charlie" he replied, squinting up at him. "Oh" Michael replied, a look of discompher struck his face when he noticed Charlie. "Why don't you and Vincent come play over here and leave Mr. Charlie alone" he suggested, trying his hardest not to sound rude. "Why?" Walt questioned. "Just, go over there" he replied, not wanting to tell the true answer. Walt got up with a sigh and huffed over to the area Michael had pointed to. "By Charlie" he said, giving a pathetic excuse for a wave as he wondered off. "Later" Charlie replied, feeling very uncomfortable talking to him after Michael had chased him away. Michael gave him a look before walking over to where Walt had settled. It was a look you gave to something worthless. A look that said "you'll never be anything". A look that said "stay away from my son". It hurt him, although he knew it was true. He didn't blame Michael for giving him that look. There was a time in his life when he may have saw someone like himself and reacted the same way. And he sure as hell wouldn't let his son hang around a drug addict, even a recovered one. That's when it hit him. Recovered. He was now a recovering drug addict. The strange feel of confidence suddenly swept over him. He was suddenly aware of someone standing next to him. "Hey, hows it going" Hurly asked, standing behind him. "Good. Good" Charlie replied, turning at an angle to see who he was talking to. Hurly took a seat beside him on the oversized wheel. "Hungry?" he asked, indicating the plate infront of him. "Nah" Charlie replied, the sight of food made him sick to his stomach. "Sute yourself" Hurly shrugged, taking a bite of the meat from his little plastic spoork. "That was some episode you had back there" Hurly explained casually. He was the first to acknowledge that he had the withdraws out loud. "Kinda made me feel like my life didn't suck so bad."

Charlie smiled, not knowing exactly what to say. "Must suck for you, now that everybody knows."he said, taking another bite. "Yeah" Charlie nodded. "I mean, people look at me they look and think 'fat ass' but atleast they see a nice gut. With you its just 'druggie' that must suck." he explained, the whole time he kept it casual. Charlie nodded for a moment. "Not every one" was his reply. "Oh, well that's good" Hurly shrugged. A grin swept across his face. "I bet Claire's one of those people" he teased after a moment. Charlie laughed, blushing at the accusazation. "Dude, she really likes you. You're a lucky guy" he elaborated. Charlie's face was red. "You think?" he asked, happy with the subject. "Yeah dude, you should go for it" Hurly suggested. Charlie laughed again. The fire crackled. Before long every one headed off to bed. Charlie moved off the tire down on a plot of sand infront of it and fell asleep.

he awoke to some one standing over him. it was broad daylight and bright as hell. He was In the shadow of Kate, who was reaching over him. He squinted up at her, his eyes hurt by the sun. "oh, sorry. Did I wake you?" she asked, he realized she was setting up some sort of cloths line. "The girls did some laundry" she explained as she pinned up a shirt. He nodded and sat up. "They're still going if you want to try an toss yours in" she suggested, indicating to a little plot close by the water where Rose, Shannon, Sun, Claire, the baby and a few other girls sat in a circle around a tub of water, doing the laundry. "Yeah. Probably should" he agreed, pulling at the bottom of his shirt, witch was very dirty. Especially after his nights rest in the sand. She laughed and continued to pin up the close. Claire spotted him as he arched and meet him half way. She had changed from her usual black tank top and skirt. She was now wearing a brown tank that seemed to fit better and a pair of geans, witch were rolled up at the caves. No shoes. However, she was keeping that little tan fisher hat she had found. "Hey, hows it going?" he asked grinning as she stopped infront of him. . "Good. Sorry I lost you last nigh." she apologized, wrinkling her nose. The baby rested on her hip. "Its alright." he shrugged, placing a hand in his pocket. "Wow, they're rely going crazy with this laundry business" he noted, glancing around the island witch was darted with close lines. "Yeah, I know." she agreed. "I guess they want to make sure every things really clean, hygiene being the new goal and all." she joked. "They obviously haven't gotten to you yet" she then teased, looking him up and down. "Nope, not yet" he agreed. "Well here, go change. We'll get that mess fixed" she suggested, indicating a pile of cloths that had ben lied across the suitcases. "They haven't really been sorted out yet. So take your pick, I'm sure something bound to be yours any way" she explained. "Claire" Shannon called from the circle around the tub of water. "Coming!" Claire called back. "Good luck" she said, flashing him a grin before she headed back to her post. He watched her walk back, then stop and turn around. "Maybe you should shave a little while your at it" she teased, then continued walking. He scanned through the long line of cloths. Nothing appeared to be his. He managed to find a pare of geans that looked like they'd fit, but none of the shirts really worked. He settled for a white button up, all the others being over sized t shirts and women's tanks. He hurried of to one of the empty tents to go change. He felt very uncomfortable wearing some one else cloths, exspeicaly since they didn't fit. Both the shirt and the geans were to big. He had shaved, like Claire suggested, with one of the hunting knifes. It wasn't a very good job because, well, it was done with a hunting knife. But it was good enough for now. He was more worried about the cloths. But atleast they were _clean_, he thought as he head back to the laundry circle with his dirty geans and striped shirt in hand. "Here you go" he said to Claire, holding out the cloths. All the girls looked up at him. "Well, don't you clean up nice" Rose teased. He smiled, embarrassed as Claire took the cloths from his hands. He had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to make it fit better, but it still felt weird. He had misplaced his jacket an his shoes. "We'll I guess I'll leave you girls alone" he suggested, feeling awkward just standing there. "Your welcome to help if you like" Rose suggested. "Yeah, if he can help so can you" Shannon added, indicating Claire son, who wasn't really helping. "Alright" he agreed, plopping down next to Claire. Most guys would probably feel awkward being with a bunch of women, but he didn't mind. In high school all his friends were girls. And plush, he got to spend time with Claire, witch seemed to be his only motivation for doing anything on this god forsaken island. Kate walked over to join them, a huge box filled with cloths in her arms. "Brought another batch" she announced, sitting down with the rest of the circle. They began unloading the box quietly. Women were normally more chatty than this, he thought as he helped them unload the cloths. "You wouldn't believe some of the smut people bring on these plains" Kate laughed, holding up a very see-through lace top. "Oh, that's mine" Shannon blurted out before realizing what shed just said. She giggled, embarrassed, along with the rest of them. "Well" Kate teased, handing her the top. "Atleast you can find cloths that fit. I had to steal this from Kate" Claire said, indicating the brown tank, that was a bit small. "Well I don't plain on wearing this, on the island. My brother would kill me" Shannon replied, indicating the shirt. "And exactly where were you going to wear it to?" Kate questioned. "None of your business" Shannon grinned back. "Well right now I'd kill for a hair brush" Claire exclaimed to the general audience, lifting a piece of her messy hair. "Oh I have one in my bag" Shannon explained. "Really? I've been looking all over for one!" Claire replied with relief. "I'm more worried about when that time of the months pops up" Kate announced, before realizing there was a man amongst them. "Sorry" she muttered, embarrassed for blurting it out. "Oh trust me, used to it" he replied, not at all fazed by the remark. "Oh?" she question sarcastically. "I'm sure Charlie spends a lot of time with women" Shannon accused, also being sarcastic. "Well, I am in a band" he shrugged, jokenly. Claire was blushing beside him. "I think I'm done here. I'll go hang these up" Claire suggested, lifting up a pile of wt cloths they had placed on a towel. "I'll help" Charlie suggested, sounding more desperate than he'd meant to. She nodded and lifted up half the pile. "Will you guys watch him for a little while?" she asked, indicating the baby, who was crawling on a towel. "Sure" Kate responded. He grabbed the other half and they headed off to one of the empty cloths lines. "You do look nice" she complemented, pinning up the first shirt on her pile. "Are you kidding?" he asked, rasing an eye brow. "At least your clean now" she teased, indicating the once dirty shirt he had been wearing. "I'll be happy when I'm back in my own cloths" he replied, once again sighing at the starchy white shirt. They stood silently for a moment, hanging the cloths. He didn't want them to be awkward. Yes, they had kissed. And he had rather enjoyed it. He had hoped it would bring them closer together. but they had only been standing together for a minuet and he had already run out of things to say. "Have you eaten?" she asked suddenly. He notices how she was stareing at his stomach with a look of worrier. "What?" he asked, some what confused by her sudden entreat in his stomach. "You haven't eaten since...three days!" she did the math in her head, her eyes met his. He thought for a moment. She was right. "Why didn't you get food last night?" she asked, her voice sounded angry. Not mad, but angry. The kind of angry your mum would have when you did something dangerous. "Don't know" he shrugged, not knowing what else to say. She stared at him for a moment, sadly. He didn't want to see her sad. but what was he suppose to say? _I'm not eating because I'm still going through withdraws and I'll probably throw up? _But that look in her eyes hurt him, badly. "I think if I eat I might get sick" he replied, with a smile, trying to calm the sitituaton. "Your gonna get sick if you don't" she replied. She had a good point. "Alright then, wheres the food?" he asked, looking around the island. She shook her head, sadly. His smile faded. "Claire?" he whispered , trying to force her to look him in the eye. "You can't keep doing this" she sobbed, refusing to meet his eye. Seeing her cry hit him hard. _God damn it Charlie, look what your doing to her? _"What do you mean?" he asked, softly. Not really understanding why she was so upset. She sniffed again, holding her hand up to her mouth for a second. "I almost watched you die yesterday, Charlie. Do you know what that feels like? Waking up to find out your missing, and god knows what happened to you!" her voice cracked. He wanted to hug her. Do something to make it better. How could he have done this to her? _Let her get attached to someone like him, knowing she'd have to see him like this. _"Your right. You shouldn't have to go through that. And I'm an idiot for not taking care of myself" he replied. She was right, completely right. "but I will, I promise. Please don't hate me" the last part he hadn't meant to say. It just came out. "I don't hate you, Charlie" she replied, still not looking at him. "Then why haven't you spoken to me since last night? You haven't even smiled" he began. He was digging himself deeper into this than he had hoped "what are you talking about?"she asked, her head down. "You won't even look at me!" he continued. "Charlie" she began to explain herself. He wasn't finished. "I never meant to get into this with you, but I couldn't stop myself. Your not like any one I've ever meet before, Claire. And I tried to tell myself to leave you alone, because I knew you'd neverwant some burnt out druggie like me. But I couldn't help it. I'm trying to stop, and I have changed.I changed for you. Please don't hate me for it" he was now rambling. He looked at her and her eyes had finly meet his. And the look gave him chills. "Charlie, I felt the same way. But I should have stopped myself."she began to explain. He had no clue what she was talking about. "Why did you do it? Knowing I was pregnet? Knowing I was already involved with some one before we hit this island? Why were you nice to me? Why didn't you ignore me like every body else?" she covered her face. _She was with someone else. Some where, another man was worrying if she was alright. Hoping to god she was still alive. An he loved her. He was a good man. _

And Charlie was nothing. Any love for Claire had to end right now. He wasn't about to steel her from the father of her child. "I'm sorry." was all he could say before he turned and walked away from her. He wouldn't look back at her to save his life. It was all for nothing. The time he'd spent with her, the time he'd wasted thinking about her. Dreaming about her. The withdraws. All for nothing. _You're a true fool, Charlie Pace. _He told himself as he walked away from her. He lead himself back to the tent and plopped down on the pile of luggage that had served for his bed a night ago. Leaning his head back agenst a heavy suitcase, he sighed. Trying to calm himself. Trying to clear his thoughts. To do anything and everything to keep from crying. _What made you think she'd ever want you? People look at you and see a druggie. A burnt out, washed up druggie with a dark past and no future. You think that one night of redemption is going to pay for all that? _he tore at himself, eyes squeezed tightly shut. His hands were shacking again. He couldn't tell if it was from his anger or if it was just another withdraw coming back. _What did it matter?_ He had never thought of quitting before Claire, and he wasn't about to go insane for a girl who wanted nothing to do with him. Just as the thought had entered his mind, his eyes opened and immediately fell upon the tiny plastic bag casually resting on a piece of luggage across the room. Still a quarter full, he thought. He could tell how much was there just by looking at it. The temptation wouldn't have nearly been so bad if his mind wasn't completely overloaded. His thoughts seemed to dark around aimlessly, like when a car speeds by you on a belt way, and all you here is the screech of a horn. His temples throbbed with every to thought that forced itself into its skull. He couldn't take it any longer. He felt as though he might explode if he wasted on more second on this self- pitying crap. Tapping his fingers on the side of his thigh, eyes dark, dangerously focused on the tiny plastic baggy that lay before him, her realized that could easily be fixed.


	5. redeeimer

Disclaimer: hello all. I think we know by now that how this whole thing works. Don't own lost. I spaced out the lines like some one had suggested, and worked on my gamer more. Sorry for any mistakes. This dose include some of the ideas from the last episode, but they're not in any specific order, just to let you know.

FATE

Redeemer

He couldn't stop himself now. He was a zombie, with one meaning for life. And it resided less

then a yard away from him. His eyes were cold and empty as his hand instinctively reached for

the tiny bag. His finger tips had barley grasped it when he felt a firm grip on his shoulder shock

him out of his daze. He blinked, his eye bouncing back into focus. he felt dizzy, light headed. Like

the past two seconds had lasted an eternity and he hadn't controlled it. He looked over to see

Locke sitting next to him, hand resting on his shoulder. "Are you sure you want to do that?" he

questioned plainly, his face showing no incline to either decision. Charlie brought his hand back to

his stomach and rested it there. If he still hand his jacket, he could shove his hands in his pockets,

pull up the hood. Mask his identify. Hide from any accusations. He could be inevitable. But now

he was bare, exposed. Naked in someone else's cloths, someone who may quite possibly be dead.

"I herd what happened, with you and Claire. Do you really think its worth it?" he spoke with the

simplest state of mind. "You know, just because she's not the girl you want her to be doesn't

mean you can't be the man you want yourself to be." The generic question read as if it were a

grand philosophical statement. Powerful enough to go down in history. But no one would

remember it. No one would ever here it. He didn't even really want to answer it. He didn't want to

find out what he truly felt._ how could he be so plain? Surly a man with such an obvious passion for _

_life must have known love. _Not that what he was feeling could be considered love_. This was just a _

_crush. The Romeo syndrom, wanting what you can't have. Hurting any one and anything who _

_stood in the way. He remembered Claire's face. The pain in her eyes. How could he make it _

_better? How could he tell her that he understood. As much as it would kill him to even think of her _

_with someone else, he understood. She deserved this man. The man who loved her. The man who _

_was off somewhere dreaming about her. Missing her every moment that shes gone. The man who _

_would some day father her child, if they ever got of this dammed island. How could he be that man? Someone who made himself worthy of a girl like Claire? _"How?" he mumbled out loud with

out even realizing it. "Well that's really your choice. You know who he is. Now all you need to do is

figure out how to get there." Lock replied simply. He didn't make very much eye contact. He was

talking to the wind. It wasn't advice, it was guidance. Charlie picked up the baggie, weighing it in his

hands. He stared at it for a long time before parting with it. He placed it in Locke's ready hand,

ridden himself of it for good. Lock tipped it over, poring the powder out into the sand. He felt

strange, almost empty, but at the same time relived. He stomach growled. He hadn't realized how

hungry he had been. He looked down at his stomach, witch gurgled loudly once again. "Perhaps you

should eat" Locke, who was now standing, suggested. Charlie hadn't noticed he had gotten up. He

nodded in response. Locke put out his hand and helped him up.

Once they had gotten food, the two set on some rocks near the edge of the woods, far from the

other survivors. The spot was familiar to Charlie, a place he had once wondered off to every time he

wanted to get high. They had sat quietly for a long time. Occasional Locke would make a comment,

Charlie would nod in response. But his mine was else where. He didn't know where, exactly. His

mind drifted from place to place. From being on stage, playing his heart out to arguing with the rest

of the band back stage. From the air port station, where he remembered seeing half the people who

now surrounded him. He remembered seeing Jack getting upset with one of the managers. He

remembered seeing Jin and Sun and wondering if they could speak English. He saw Boone and

Shannon and wondered if they were dating. He saw Claire and wondered where her husband was, or

why a women that pregnet would be traveling alone. Kate had been standing right behind him. She

looked nervous. He even thought a head into the future. But he had to continuously remind himself

that no matter how much he wanted, Claire could not be included. He didn't want to be alone on this

island. Claire had been his only hope for friendship. Sure, every one was pretty nice. Well, besides Sowyer. But Claire was the only person who would actually talk to him. He had finished eating, Locke

had gotten up and left without saying a word. And he was alone. Truly alone. Some redemption.

Claire sat at the edge of the water. the wind was blowing strong and the sky was a blue-grey hybrid.

The baby was sitting on her lap, rested agenst her torso. Stareing wide eyed at the ocean. He grabbed

up at her chin, fascinated with every thing he touched. She smiled and lifted him up. She sat him on her

knees facing her. She rubbed her nose agenst his. "Cute" Sawyer noted, standing beside her. "Well

that's the great thing about baby boys, isn't it. You can be as mushy as you want with them and they

enjoy it. To bad the grow out of it" she replied, half talking to the baby. "He got a name?" Sawyer

asked, sitting down beside her. "No, not yet" she said, shaking her head. "Don't you think he's been

alive a little to long to go about nameless?" he had a point. "I wouldn't feel right, with out his father

being here" she replied, this was the first time she had mentioned him since they'd been on the island.

He nodded, seeming to understand. "How about a temp? just so we've got something to call him" he

suggested. _Why is he suddenly so interested?_ "I can't think of anything" she responded, biting her lip.

"How bout Charlie?" he teased, a huge smirk across his face. "What?" she blushed, trying to appear

innocent. "Oh come on. I've seen the way you look at him, sweet heart." he pointed out, confidently. "I

have a boy friend" she replied, not sure rather she was trying to convince him or herself. She

remembered when saying that made her feel good. Like she'd accomplished something. Now it was

something she had to defend. It felt like admitting to a crime. "Where? Back in Australia?" he asked as

if it were a joke. Every thing is a joke with him. She nodded in response, a faint smile on her face. "Ok.

So tell me this, sweet heart, if you have such a 'committed lover' back home, why were you leaving?"

he questioned, leaning back on his elbows. Her smile faded and she looked away, back to the ocean.

"Being stuck on this island is a second chance, you know. Start a new life, find new friends....new love?" he stated, suggestively, the grin widened. "New love? Really?" she laughed, it was strange

hearing him of all people talk about love. He tilted his head towards Jack and Kate, who were sitting

side by side on a blanket flirting. "Well, maybe for them 'new love' works. But I don't 'love' Charlie"

she replied. That came out way to serious, she thought. She was defonetly trying to convenes herself

now. This was not good. "Charlie? Who said anything about Charlie. I was talking about myself" he

teased. She couldn't help but laugh. The baby laughed to. "He has your smile" he complimented. She

blushed, not knowing what to say. After a moment it was quite. She brushed back her hair, upset by all

the tangles. "How about Benjamin?" he suggested, turning to face her once again. "Huh?" she replied,

she had spaced out. "Benjamin." he repeated, indicating the baby. "He looks like a Benjamin. You can

call him Benjy for short, come on. Its cute." he tried to convince, grinning. She thought for a moment,

biting her lip. "Benjamin. I like it" she agreed after a moment. "Alright. It's settled then" he announced,

hoping to his feet. "Well, bye sweet heart. By Benjy" he joked before jogging back to the wreckage.

She leaned back on her Elbows, balancing Ben on her stomach. She couldn't help but think about what

Sawyer had said. It made since, weather he was being serious or not. She should atleast talk to him, try

to make a mends. _A friendship is better than not talking at all, right?_ She lifted him up and stumbled to

her feet. With the baby on her hip, she headed off to find Charlie. She spotted him laying agenst a tree at

the edge of the jungle after searching the island for ten minutes. She couldn't tell if he was awake or not,

but she decided to walk over any ways. He opened his eyes when he noticed her infront of him and

stared at her blankly. "Hey, do you happen to know where I can find a hair brush?" she asked, trying to

start conversation. "Fraid not" he replied distantly. she sighed and nodded. "I named him, the baby" she

explained, forcing a smile. "Really?" he questioned, looking up at her. He suddenly seemed interested.

Her smile grew, real this time. "Benjamin" she said, proudly. He grinned. "Benjamin: he reelected,

nodding in approval. "Benjy for short" she added, once again talking to the baby. He grinned and patted the ground beside him, indicating she sit down. She blinked, a bit coughed off gard, then sat down

beside him. Imidiatly Benjy crawled from her lap to his and began tugging at his necklace. "I think he

likes you" she said, giggling. His smile widened, resembling a child himself. It was silent again. She

observed him as he turned Benjy to face him, brushing back his little blond strands. Ben giggled and

grabbed one of his half-painted fingers. Charlie looked at him as if it were his own child. They had the

connection only a father and son could have. Claire began to wonder weather his real father would have

gave him the same look. He had never wanted the baby to begin with. She couldn't help but fear the day

they got of the island, and found him there waiting for her. He'd hug her and tell her how much he'd

worried, and then see Ben. The look would not be the same. The idea gave her chills. "Are you alright?"

Charlie asked, eyeing her questionably. "Yeah" she replied, nodding. Her voice was quieter than before

and she had to concentrate to smile. He continued to studied her skeptically, then a smile crossed his

face. "Here" he suggested, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. He grabbed

the edge of the blanket the two had been sitting on and pulled the corner over her bare legs. She smile,

apreciately. She hadn't realized how cold it had gotten until she got this close to him. The warmth made

her skin tingle. It was impossible to tell weather the feeling was from her body warming up, or just from

being near him. Either way the feeling gave her goose bumps. Her body was split in two. One side, some

may call your heart, wanted to be closer to him then ever possible. To lay her head on his shoulder and be

near him. To sit there for days in silence then be able to walk away feeling like it was the best

conversation you've ever had. Another half, witch whom you may call her conscience, was screaming to

stop. To run away as fast as she could before she got to caught up in her emotions. She worried that

might be to late. Being a sensible person, Claire sided with her conscious and quickly thought up a way to

escape. "Would you mind watching him for a moment? I think I'm gonna go find some more comfortable

cloths" she questioned, pulling at the waist band of her kaprees, witch were clearly to tight. He nodded and smiled. she lifted herself off the blanket and wondered off to the populated section of the island.

Charlie sat on the blanket for a while, piddling with the baby. This was the first time he had ever been

near a child. He never had any younger siblings, and although he had a huge abundance of cousins, nieces

and nephews, he never really saw any younger than him. He decided that he liked being around children,

or atleast this child. For some one who didn't say much, he seemed to pay a whole lot of attention. The

kind of person you could talk to for hours and they'd simply liston. _He must get it from his mother. _The

winds picked up and the blanket blew beneath him. Some luggage that had been piled on the rocks beside

him scattered about in the wind. He was surprised when he herd a small familiar object plop down on the

blanket beside him. A hair brush. He smiled and hopped up, holding Benjy on one hip, the brush clutched

in his other free hand. He found Claire talking to one of the other survivors, now changed into a faded

black shirt and cut-off shorts. He walked up behind her and waited until he caught her attention. She

turned to him and smiled when she realized he was there. He laughed when he recognized the shirt she

had chosen out of the huge selection. Form behind it had appeared to be just a faded black shirt, that was

two sizes to big. But he now recognized as the "Drive shaft" label T-shirt pulled from his vary own

suitcase. "What?" she asked, looking down at herself in search of what had him cracking up. "That's my

shirt" he answered, the laughter still rolled with his voice. "Oh" she replied, now laughing as well.

"What's 'drive shaft'?" she asked, reading the name as if it were a different language. "That's my band"

he explained, some what embarrassed. "Band? You didn't tell me you were in a band!" she exclaimed

with shock. "You didn't ask" he shrugged, his cheeks reddened behind his grin. "What do you play?" she

questioned, suddenly seeming very interested. _Finally, some one who cared about music on this damn _

_island! _"Guitar, well base mostly, but guitar on some tracks" he explained, trying his hardest not to begin

rambling. "You never told me that either" she teased, pretending to be offended. "Terribly sorry, luv" he

teased back. He felt strange calling her luv. He used the term with every girl he'd ever spoken to that wasn't related to him, but with Claire it felt different. Perhaps to close to the truth. "What happened to

your guitar?" she asked, brushing the hair back from her face. "No clue. It was on the plain so it might

still be here, somewhere" he shrugged, hands in pockets. She nodded, biting the corner of her lip. A habit

he had noticed many times before. "We should go look for it, sometime" she suggested, playing secret once again.

"Alright" he agreed, eager to see his precious guitar once again. Just as the spoke, Charlie noticed Kate

and Jack, who were digging through all the bags, seeming to be gathering supplies. "Where you going?"

he asked, curiously. "The woods, see if we can find some...more water" Kate explained, almost spilling

the beans. He'd forgotten that Claire still didn't know about the transmitter. "And more food" Locke

added, popping up behind the two. "Maybe you should join us" Locke suggested as he filled his back

pack. "I don't know if that's such a good idea" Jack hesitated, eyeing Charlie skeptically. "Why not? We

can always use an extra hand" Locke insisted. "Alright" Jack sighed, giving in. "Are you coming?"

Charlie questioned, ignoring Jacks disapproval and turning straight to Claire. "Oh, no. She's defonetly

not coming" Jack interrupted. "Why not?" Charlie protested. Jack frowned at him and gestured angrily

at Benjy._ Oh._ "I could watch him" Shannon chimed in, from behind Claire. "Are you sure?" Claire asked,

turning to her. "Yeah, I'd love two. I used to baby sit all the time at home. I love babies" she insisted.

"Alright" Claire agreed, handing her Benjy. "Get your thing" Lock instructed to the two of them. the two

headed off to find some supples while jack stared in shock. Kate patted him on the shoulder, trying not to

laugh at his dumb found expression as she fallowed Locke into one of the tents.


	6. another

Disclaimer: don't own it. But anyways, sorry its been taking so long to update, but I've kind of been waiting for the next episode to come so I can know a little more about my characters. This is a good idea, I hope, but its makeing it harder to think up ideas. So for all my readers, please let me know if you have any ideas or things you'd like to see happen in the story. I'd really appreciate it. Well, on with the show...

**Shannonlover: **thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed it. I'm trying to incorporate Sawyer as much as I can.

FATE

Another

They'd been walking for atleast a half an hour. The smoldering heat being trapped beneath the

thick vale of leaves and branches high above them. Charlie was glade he had decided to change

out of the stuffy white shirt into tanish-brown wife beater. He felt more naked now than he had

before, but naked felt damn good in this weather. He admired Claire, who unlike the rest of the

group, didn't seem to be sweating. He couldn't understand how that was possible because he was

drenched. His matted hair stuck to his forehead and his cloths clung to his body like cellophane.

Jack, Lock and Kate were clearly in the same disposition. But not Claire, she seemed completely

un effected by the sun, besides that strip of freckles across her cheeks witch seemed to duplicate

every time he looked at her. He had stayed relatively quite for most of the hike. Kate and Jack did

most of the talking, teasing back and forth. Flirting, as usual. Ocasionly Locke would comment on

the surroundings, completely fascinated by the wild. Claire and Kate had chatted for a while as

well, though he hadn't caught much of the conversation. He couldn't seem to concentrate on

anything but the heat. His skin had grown extremely red since they had been walking and the big

bite on his neck had was forming its on national government. He had begun to contemplate rather

of not he was getting sun burn when Locke stopped in his tracks, extending his arm to stop the

rest of them from walking. "What is it?" Charlie whispered, not stopping until he literly ran into

Locke's out-stretched arm. He didn't reply. The leaves rustled in a shrub to their left before a

small rabbit emerged and scurried across their path. They all took a deep breath, relived. Jack

rolled his eyes in annoyance while Kate continued to dig through her bag, only to retrieved a small

Kodak camera and snap a picture. The rabbit scurried away from the flash as the rest turned back

to Kate. "Where did you get that?" Jack questioned playfully. "Shh, it's a secret" she replied

sarcastically, before snapping a picture of him as well. He stood, squinting, termperarly blinded as

the rest began walking once again. They traveled for another ten or so minutes before reaching

the small stream Jack had found early on. "We should stop and rest here for now" Locke

suggested, setting his bag on one of the rocks. Charlie plopped down on one of the rocks and let

the heavy bag slide of his shoulders. He leaned back agenst the rock dramatically, as if he were

about to pass out. Claire sat down beside him, laid her bag on the ground and began re-tieing one

of her shoes. Once she was done, she leaned back agenst the rock wall, imitating him. He glanced

over at her and smiled wearily before his eyes slid back shut. Ignoring him, she pulled out a bottle

of water and began chugging it down. His eyes eased open, immediately fixed on the bottle infront

of him. Claire looked at him out of the corner of her eye. Seeing how he looked as if he were

about to star drooling, she handed the bottle to him. He chugged it down, regardlessly. Nearly

finishing it in three gulps. "Thirsty?" she teased, snatching it back before he drank it all. "Like you

aren't" he replied, jokenly. She sighed, pulling one of her knees up to her chest and squinting up

at the trees. Her ratty fisher-hat casting a heavy shadow across her face. He yawned loudly, about

to fall asleep agenst the rock. "Hot" she noted, as if he hadn't already noticed. "No kidding" Kate

replied, putting one of foot up on the rock beside Claire to untie her shoe. "I'm gonna go wash

up. Wanna come with?" she suggested, removing the tan timberland boots she had pulled off one

of the bodies and switching to the other foot. "Sure" Claire agreed. The two headed off, leaving

the men behind. At first, no one said much. Locke walked around with knife in hand, taking in

everything with a satisfied grin. Jack stood agenst one of the larger rocks, rubbing his temples. He

always seemed to be stressed about something. Normally Charlie would have felt like it was his

fault, and try to cheer him up. He knew full well now that Jack didn't find him funny, and his

talking would only make it worse. But he was to tired to think about it. His muscles ached badly.

Every bone in his body felt as if it had been bruised or twisted. Even the unsteady up-and-down

motion of his chest as he breathed hurt. And despite the half pint of water her had just downed, he

was still terribly thirsty. He dug hopelessly at the oversized bump on his neck that had been

irritating him for about twenty minutes. He had just built up enough strength to do something

about it, but scratching it only aggravated him more. When he looked up both Locke and Jack's

eyes were set on him. "You ok?" Jack asked, rasining an eye brow at him. "Fine" he sighed

unenthusiastic. He dropped his hands back to his lap in surrender and began the pulling at the edge

of his ring with the tip of his thumb. The two observed him as if he were an animal in a zoo.

"Where'd you get that?" Locke inquired about the bump, witch was now more of a gigantic scab

that had taken over what was once his neck/shoulder. "Some bug" he shrugged. "When we get

back to the camp, you should see if you can find something to put on that. It looks infected" Jack

suggested, although it was an obvious statement. Charlie ignored him and continued stareing at his

shoes. Well, not really his shoes. They were never his. He had stolen them, just like everything

else he was wearing. "You ok, kid?" Locke asked, sympotheticly, taking a seat beside him. "Yeah,

I'm fine" he replied, snapping out of his daze. He didn't want to be called kid. He knew, obviously,

he was much younger than the two. But he was still a grown man. What made him feel even lower

was they way Jack continued to stare at him. It was the look your father would give you when he

knew you did something wrong and was waiting for you to confess. The two of them together

would make a perfect parental team. Jack, with the look of strong disappointment and vague

disgust, Lock with the look of sympathy and understanding. He didn't know witch was worse.

What he did know was that he was not in the mood for any damned lecture. Finally the two gave in

and looked away from him. They went back to there little tasks, waiting for Kate and Claire to

return. Unable to focus any longer, Charlie drifted off. It wasn't how you normally wenst to slip,

lieing down and falling out after going through thousands of deep thoughts. No, this was the first

time in his life that his mind didn't keep him awake. He simply blacked out. His vision blurred and

fadded, along with the rest of his senses until he was unconchus. He woke to the sound of a blood

curdling scream. His eyes shot open. He couldn't recognize who the sound belonged to. Only that

it was female and came from a good distance away. Jack and Locke had both already made a mad

dash in the direction the girls had left, in what seemed like several hours ago ._Claire._ He suddenly

became aware that Claire could be in trouble, and instincts took over. Without thought he was up

and running through the trees, not far behind them. The first scream was fallowed by several

other's, and was now clear that it was coming form more than one person. He just barely stopped

himself from running straight of the edge of a very piece of rock. Some where along the way he had

gotten of corse, and was now almost three yards across from where Kate stood, screaming

histaricly. Jack and Locke emerged from the shrubbery behind her and stopped dead in their tracks.

Claire had gotten caught in some kind of quick sand, and was now stuck waist deep, panicking

hopelessly. Immediately Jack began rambling of useless ideas. "Don't struggle" Locke instructed

comely. "We need to get something for her to grab onto" Jack suggested, searching the

surroundings for any long branch that would work while Lock continued to calm her. Kate seemed

to be in shock. Because she didn't move. Not thinking, Charlie began to slowly make his way now

the edge of the rock. He found a small cluster of dirt large enough for him to stand on. Then, with

one hand gripping on of the thick roots imbedded in dirt, he reached out his hand. Claire, who was

now chest deep in the thick mud could just barely grasp the tips of his fingers. He gripped her hand

tighter, pulling her closer to him with all his strength. The other stopped what they were doing. Just

as he was makeing some progress on getting her out, the dirt bed beneath his feet gave and he was

half thrown into the quick sand himself. Still gripping the cluster of roots, he pulled her closer to

him. Once he got her close enough to where she could reach the edge of the rock herself, she was

almost shoulder deep. She grasped the roots and pulled herself up. The two made their way up onto

the rock while the others stood, helpless. Claire crumbled agenst him. Her head laid on his shoulder,

tears pouring down her eyes. Her hand gripping the front of his shirt, witch like the rest of him, was

covered in mud. He sat still, breathing heavily. Eyes stareing blankly at the space infront of him.

Trying to remember what had just happened. He hadn't even noticed the one hand that was moving

rythmicly across her arm in an attempt to aid her shivering. The others made their way up to the rock

and kneeled around them. Imidiatly they began hounding Claire. Asking if she was alright, if she was

hurt, completely ignoring him. Claire nodded in response, her chin wrinkled. He noticed a small,

deep red scrape across her pale chin, witch was now speckled with dirt and mud. Jack lifted her chin

to inspect the wound while Kate ran her fingers through her mud-soaked hair. Locke observed from

the other side. "So much for getting clean, I guess" Kate joked through her tears. Claire managed to

laugh a little, her smile still shining even when the rest of her was a complete mess. Jack and Kate

helped her up by her arms, Leaving him to lift himself up on his own. He didn't mind the lack of

attention, he was to confused on what had just happened to even worry about it. They made their way

back to the little water fall so the two could clean up. Claire seemed to be more worried about her

hair than anything as she stood bare foot in the ankle knee deep water, all of her hair flung infront of

her head as she ducked under the tiny waterfall. She then flipped it back as she stood up straight, but

continued to pick at the ends, witch were still a murky brown. He wasn't that worried about getting

clean, he just wanted to rest. He felt once again like a zombie, except this time he had no drive. He

cupped his hands together under the fall, waiting them to fill before her splashed himself with it. The

water was cold, and seemed to even out the heat. "I should have brought that hair brush" Claire joked

as she twisted the long, blond tail of hair over her shoulder. He smiled, unable to think of anything to

say. Or remember how to talk for that matter. He hadn't noticed her moving towards him until she was

directly infront of him. He looked down and noticed what she was so fixed on. There was a rather large

rip in his shirt on the lower right side. Blood mixed with mud so that you could barely tell the

difference. It stung when she touched it, just barely, and made him flinch. She pulled her hand back

quickly, not wanting to hunt him. "Did that hurt?" she asked, looking up at him. "A little" he replied,

the pain showing in his voice. It had now begun to burn. He couldn't tell how big it was exactly, but it

didn't hurt as much as it should, witch normally meant it was bad. "I'll be alright" he added, hoping she

would drop the subject. He was tired of people worrying about him, exspeicaly Claire. "You sure?" she

asked, with a smile. _Thank god, its no big deal! _"Yeah, just a flesh wound" he joked, trying his hardest to

keep that 'real man' appeal. "Alright" she smiled, then walked past him and lifted herself out of the pond.

"You guys bout finished?" Jack asked, appearing from behind the woods. "Yeah" Charlie replied,

makeing his way out as well. He was still a mess, but didn't really care. He wasn't about to hold every

one back over a bit of mud. "Good" Jack replied, enthusiastically. He grind for a moment, but it soon

fadded as his eyes locked on the very large gash across Charley stomach. "Woo, what happened?" he

asked, eyeing the wound with confusion. _Jesus Christ, what do you think happened? _"Don't know. Must

of got it when I fell" he shrugged as he headed over to his bags. "Dose it hurt?" he asked, continuing to

stare. "Nah" he replied, casually. But as he leaned over to pick up his bag, his stomach clinched and an

involuntary grunt escaped his mouth. "You sure?" he asked, skeptically. "Yes" he confirmed, becoming

very agitated. "What's going on?" Kate then asked, popping out from the forest as well. "Nothing"

Charlie replied before anyone else could speak. "Let me take a look at it" Jack suggested, moving

towards him. "Look at what?" Locke questioned, appearing behind Kate. "No, really. Its ok" Charlie

insisted, about to explode. Jack ignored him and continued to move the ripped fabric aside to better inspect

to wound. "What the hell? Get off! I told you I'm bloody fine!" boom. He snapped. Every one froze, in

shock. Jack stared at him blankly, not knowing how to reach. He glanced from person to person, feeling

paranoid. Wondering why it had bothered him so much. "Sorry" Jack replied, after a moment, defensively

taking a step back. "We should probably head back, almost dark" Locke suggested plainly, as if the incident

hadn't just happened. Kate glanced back at him over her shoulder as did Jack when the two walked bye. He

hated that look. But what was even worse was that Claire didn't look at him at all. _Great, just great. _He

cursed himself as he fallowed behind. It was complete silence the whole way back to the beach. Once they

got there, Kate and Jack headed off to the fire together. Locke went off too his tent and Claire headed

towards the smaller fire where Boone and Shannon sat, right outside their tent without saying a word. He

plopped down in the sand right at the edge of the woods and leaned agenst a tree. His body ached and his

head was pounding. He rested his hand on top of the stinging wound at his stomach, witch seemed to

spread across his entire chest. He continued to ask himself why had been so pissy to them. What ever it was,

it had him in a foul mood. He wasn't about to stress over it. He needed rest, badly. He closed his eyes and

tried his hardest to concentrate on sleep.

Claire plopped down next to Shannon with a grin. "How's my boy?" she asked, not able to stay away from

him for another second. "Oh! He's great" Shannon replied, plopping him onto her lap. His eyes light up at

the site of her. "Except for the time you dropped him" Boone teased. "I did not! Really" Shannon replied,

jokenly. "Well, thanks for watching him" Claire said, appreciatively as she climbed to her feet. "Any time" Shannon replied, smiling. Her and Boone continued to talk as she wondered off, baby in hands. She was so

preoccupied with keeping him from sliding that she didn't watch where she was going and rand straight into

a familiar face. "Woo. Watch it, sweat heart" Sawyer exclaimed with that never-fading smirk. "Sorry" she

replied, embarrassed. "No problem" he grinned, taking a seat on a small pile of wreckage. "So, where have

you been all day?" he questioned, patting an empty space beside him, indicating for her to join him. "Out

with the bunch looking for water" she explained as she reluctantly took the spot beside him. "Guessed that

much. Must have been pretty thirsty to leave your first born with the bimbo" he joked, indicating to Shannon

as he patted Bens head. "Aw, shes not that bad" Claire replied, brushing Bens hair back as well. "Surprised

she didn't drop him" he continued, leaning back on his hands. She couldn't help but snicker at the remark.

"What happened?" he asked, suddenly moving his hand to her chin. "Huh? Oh that. Its nothing really. Got

myself stuck in some quick sand" she explained, slightly embarrassed. He smiled, not lowering his hand. He

was looking at her strangely. Before she knew it his lips were on hers.

He couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried. His body felt so incredible heavy, it hurt to breath. And the

scrape across his chest was overwhelming. He was suffering a cold sweat and tremendous shakes. All he

wanted was sleep, he thought. He craved it. But his body disagreed. It wanted something else, wanted the

drug. And it would not rest until it had it. Agrivateed, he stood up, brushing himself off. The scrape stung

with every movement and some where in the back of his clouded mind the bite on his neck irritated him as

well. He brushed his finger through his tangled mess of hair as he began walking towards the rest of the

gang. He eyed the beach in search of Claire. A talk with her might get his mind off what his entire immune

system was screaming for. Besides, he wanted to apologize for snapping earlier today. He didn't know how

exactly. But he wasn't about to blame it on the withdraws or the stress. But he did know he wouldn't be

able to survive on this island with her ignoring him. Finally he found what he was looking for and stopped

dead in his tracks. He was frozen, eyes wide, in shock. A simple kiss, lasted only for a second before Claire

pulled away. He stared in utter shock. His stomach sunk and a lump formed in the back of his through. he

felt as if he were about to choke. He wanted to close his eyes. To look away and run. Pretend he hadn't just

sceen what had just happened. But all he could do was stand, frozen, as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

Claire broke away from him as soon as she realized what was going on. She stared at him in shock and

confusion. _Why did you do that? What is wrong with you? _She wanted to scream, but no words could come

out. "Sorry" he murmured awkwardly after a moment. Still, she could not figure out how to close her jaw

long enough to produce a single word. He looked away for a moment, trying his hardest not to grin. He

couldn't help it. He turned his back to her almost completely as he stood, hoping she wouldn't notice. "I'm

gonna go" he suggested, with an overbearing smirk spread across his face. She sat motionless, speechless as

he strutted away. She shook her head as he left and turned to look back at him. But what she saw when she

turned around was not Sawyer at all. Instead she saw Charlie standing about six yards away. Stareing with

a look of pain, betrayal and heat break all wrapped into one. He looked away as soon as her eyes meet his,

but not quickly enough to hide his tear. Her hair whipped in the wind as she looked over her shoulder, not

knowing what to do. Her lower lip began to tremble as she watched him turn and slowly walk away.


	7. Addictions

Disclaimer: as we all know, I don't own lost or the characters. This chapters a little short, but you can look forward to more as soon as I update, witch may be a while. But I'll get it up a soon as I can. Enjoy!

FATE

Addictions

He had walked almost a mile aimlessly. He was running from his problems, as usual. Unfortunately when

your stuck on an island full of monsters, polar bears and serial-killer bees there isn't much room to run.

But he managed as well as he could, walking along the very edge of the forest until the entire fuselodge

and every one around it was out of his site. He finly passed out after walking for two hours straight

running on nothing but determination. Determined to get the hell away. He awoke to the heavy thug of

someone's foot nudging into his side. He glanced over, half asleep to see who it was. "Hey kid, Found

some more bags. Apparently they have your name on it" Sawyer explained, dangling a small black bag

above him.

Wrapped in his daze of half-unconchusness he rolled back over and closed his eyes once again. "Fine, if

you don't want it" Sawyer shrugged, plopping down about a foot away from him. He opened up the bag

and began to toss out any unwanted objects. Note book after note book hit the sand as he searched

trough the bag, reciting the word "crap" after each one. "Jesus Christ kid, you've got nothing but damn

note books in here" he complained, tossing the bag down angrily. He was talking to himself, Charlie was

out. "What the hell do you write in here?" he questioned, picking up one of the discarded spirals and

opening it to a random page. The comment woke him enough to get him agrivateed. He sat up, squinting

at the extreme brightness and the sudden rush that overcame his skull. He watched as a grin spread across

Sawyer's face. "Who's Geni?" he asked suggestively, glancing up at him. "None of your business" Charlie

groaned as he reach for the book. "Chill out" Sawyer suggested, pulling it away from him. "Give me the

book" he insisted, clearly not In the mood for sarcasm. "You had your chance. Besides, I wanna read a

little more about Geni" he teased once again as he leaned back on his elbows. Agrivateed, Charlie ripped

the book from his hands. "Come down, kid. Jesus Christ...what's your problem?" Sawyer protested, his

grin fading into irritation. "You are" he replied, lifelessly. He was to tired to argue, he just wanted this

jack ass to leave him alone. But it was to late now. "Me? I'm sorry but I don't recall doing anything to you" Sawyer argued defensively as he stood to his feet. "I guess you wouldn't" He replied. _Why are you _

_still talking? Arguing with this ass whole? Just leave it alone. _"Woo. What's that suppose to mean?" he

questioned. He was clearly getting a kick out of the sitituaton, because the grin slowly made its way back.

Makeing him even harder to stand. He wanted to slap that smug smirk right off the bastard's face if he had

the strength. "Nothing" he mumbled as he began loading the scattered note books back into his bag. "Oh, I

see. This is about Claire, isn't it?" he taunted drily. Charlie shook his head and ignored him as he lifted the

bag over his should and began to walk past. "Pretty impressive, on my part. Didn't know I had an audience"

he bragged, walking after Charlie, who was doing his best not to let it get to him. The mention of Claire's

name was clearly taking it to far. _Then again, what would you expect? The ass clearly wants to pick a fight, _

_why not give him what he wants? _"Tell me, Charlie, exactly what did you see?" he continued to taunt as he

fallowed behind him. _No, the wank's not worth it. _"I saw you try to make a pass and get shot down.

Congrad-fucking-lations" he snapped, unable to go own ignoring him. "Damn. She's got you whipped

good!" Sawyer continued, refusing to let him have the last word. "What don you want from me? Honestly,

do you have nothing better to go about trying to get a rise out of people? That's pretty pathetic if you ask

me" He questioned, turning to face him completely this time. He dropped his bag unconsciously, some

where he was were peppering himself for what ever happened next. He normally wasn't a violent person,

but something has taken over him. Perhaps the lack of drugs in his system, or the anger and disappointment

he had received from Claire. Perhaps it was being stranded on a freaking island with this ass whole working

his last nerve. What ever it was, it was about to make him explode. For a moment Sawyer didn't respond

and he took it amongst himself to turn and walk away before he got himself into any unnecessary trouble.

"I'm pathetic? I'm pathetic! You're the guy who runs around this little island trying to help every one out,

doing every thing you can to make them think your not worthless. Hoping that when they find out about all

your fucking drug habits that they won't think you're completely useless. And on top of that, you pretend that you, _you_ might actually have a chance with a girl like Claire. Now that's pathetic" he argued

confidently, trying not to laugh at his own remarks. That was it. Charlie's instincts took complete control as

he gave a hard swing. It seemed as if the moment he threw the first punch, and entire stadium had gathered

around. None, of witch, who were about to break it up. Sawyer through a clear swing back. A blow that

would have normally had him seeing stars. But he was feeling no pain, only rage. One witch he couldn't

seem to control. He swung again, almost missing as he stumbled forward. He managed to make a hit, but

not an effective one. Sawyer struck back with a blow to the stomach, directly hitting the scar, witch felt as if

it were going to cave beneath his fist. The feeling of pain swept back to him and flooded over his body. He

could feel his stomach quiver, and tasted blood. He managed to give him another aimless hit before he was

knocked to the ground. Jack and Saiyd appeared to save the day, and dragged Sawyer away before he could

do any more damage. He laid still on the ground, no longer bothered by what ever it was that had sparked

the fight to begin with. He was to preoccupied with gaping wound in his abdomen, witch had now, most

likely ben split to his dammed naval. He coughed, helplessly, trying to get the taste of blood out of his

mouth. His lip was soar, most likely bleeding. But that's not where the taste came from. It came up from the

back of his through. Probably shot up after his stomach had bed crushed under the bastard's fist. "What

happened?" Jack demanded, playing referee between the two, although Charlie was clearly makeing no

effort to have another shot. It fell silent. Sawyer scratched his head uncomfortably, unable to justify himself.

"What happened?" he repeated, this time turning his attention towards Charlie, who ignored him completely.

He couldn't even sit up, how the hell was he suppose to remember what happened? "We can't keep doing

this. Fighting amongst each other isn't gonna get us any where" Jack began. Saiyd some how appeared

behind him and lifted him to his feet. "Oh good, another inspirational speech. Bloody fantastic" He

murmured sarchasticly as he tried to regain his balance. His voice was thin, stretched. It hurt to talk. Jack

stared at him for a moment, as if in shock. The kind a parent has when you say your first curse word. _Why _

_did he have to be so bloody parental? _Charlie brushed himself off and left before Jack though up something

to say. He knew he didn't have a good reason for what he did, except that he was pissed off. But even if he

did, he wasn't about to stand around and have some self-promoting doctor beat him down. He could do that

well enough on his own.

Claire stood infront of the oversized pile of unclaimed cloths with the baby rested on her hip. _Maybe if she _

_talked to Charlie, he'd feel better_. She though, as she dug aimlessly through the cloths. The idea was to go

and return his shirt. Maybe chat about his band for a little while, he seemed to enjoy talking about that. She

didn't understand what was makeing him agitated. But she knew she wanted to help. Finally, she found

something suitable. A plain black tank top. She folded it her hand and headed towards the nearest tent. She

pushes aside the white, plastic flap used as a door and wondered in. She stopped when she noticed Jack,

Kate and Sayid, who had taken this tent as their secret conference room. They all stopped what ever it was

there were talking about and looked at her. "Sorry"she said, shyly and began to turn back out. "Wait" Jack

said, just as she was about to leave. She stopped and turned back. "We have a kind of, favor to ask" he

explained some what nervously. She smiled blankly, waiting for him to continue. "We need you to talk to

Charlie" Sayid finished straight forward. She nodded, they had the same idea. "About?" she questioned,

willingly. Though, if she was going to talk to him under their accord, she wanted to make sure it was for the

right reasons. "Because, he's getting out of control. The last thing we need is another moody, lose canon

waiting to explode" Jack explained, coldly. She nodded once again. _Not so good a reason._ "Sure, I'll talk to

him" she agreed, though he willing smile had fadded. "Good. Thanks" Jack replied, not knowing exactly

how she felt about his last remarks. She walked out of the tent and made her way across the island. After

what seemed like an eternity she spotted him. He in his own secluded little area by some of the wreckage,

warped in his black jacket despite the throbbing heat. She took a deep breath and headed towards him. He

didn't notice her as approached. His eyes were fixed blankly on what ever was infront of him. She couldn't

tell if he was rocking back and forth or sitting entirely still. _Was it possible to do both? _She plopped down

beside him, knees pulled up to her chest. "Do you want this back?" she asked, pulling at the hem of the

fadded black T-shirt.

She'd forgotten to change. He looked over at her, confused, as soon as she'd spoke. Like he had just

snapped out of a trance. "Huh?" he muttered, tiredly. He sounded as if he'd just woken up. "Your shirt, do

you want it back?" she repeated. "Oh. No, you keep it. It looks better on you" he complimented, shifting to

face her. She smiled, shyly, glanced up at him, then shook her head. "What?" he questioned, playfully. "Its

three hundred degrees out and here you are all bundled up" she explained, tugging at the rhyme of his hood,

which hung loosely over his head. He smiled and pulled the hood down. "So what are you doing up here, all

by yourself?" she asked scooting closer to him. "Nothing really. thinking" He replied distantly. He looked

back out to the wide space infront of him. "About?" she questioned, curiously. "Uh..I don't remember" he

replied with a laugh after a moment of thought. She smiled back, trying to find the next thing to say. "How's

the kid?" he asked, before should could think of anything. "Good. Jack wanted to cheek him out. Make sure

he's doing ok." she explained, glancing back at the tent where she had left him truly in Kate's care. Charlie

nodded, once again with that unintentional distance. She had to pull him back. Before she could speak, she

became distracted by Shannon's sudden high-pitched excitement. "Oh my god! Thank you thank you thank

you" she was crying with joy about three yards away from them. A small bottle of what looked like shampoo

gripped in her hand. She was bouncing excitedly and leaped forward, giving Locke, who stood before her, and

unexpected hug. He smiled aprecativly as she let go and turned to Kate, who was holding Ben beside her. She

said something to her, though it wasn't as loud so they couldn't really understand it. Kate smiled, amused as

she then trotted off to her own little tent. Claire smiled, happy that atleast some one could now have decent

hair. Lock then made his way over to the two, dragging a very large duffle bag behind them. "We found a

whole bunch of luggage out in the woods" he explained, gesturing behind him where a large pile of multi

colored bags had been piled. "I think one of them's yours" he added, focusing solely on Charlie with a faint

simile. He then turned and headed over to Jin and Sun, who were not far from them and tried to explain about

the bags. Claire hopped up and headed towards the pile Imidiatly, Dragging Charlie by the hand behind her.

She kneeled down infront of the pile and began digging through the bags. "Any of these your's?" she asked,

squinting from the sun. he didn't answer. She looked up at him and noticed an expression of complete aw on

his face, then traced his glance to find what he was stareing at. There on top of the pile sat a large black guitar

case, completely unharmed. Her face lit up as she looked back up at him. He stared at the case the same way

she stared at Ben. His eyes misted as a smile swept across his face. The two began laughing, half in shock of

the fact that the guitar had survived the crash completely unharmed. Seeing him smile almost made her melt. _If _

_only everyone else could see him like this. Addictions wouldn't matter. _


	8. Drown

Disclaimer: if you've read from the beginning, I never use my disclaimer space as what its suppose to be used for. But, obviously, I don't own lost. Anyways, last night was Charlie's episode and I have a bunch of new ideas. This will be the first section of this story, as fare as I can remember, that involves some flash backs. I will use things from the actual episode, plus a bit of my own as well. Hope you like it!

To my beloved readers:

**FoolforaTook: thank you for your review! Obviously, Charlie's my favorite too and I've been waiting for this episode for weeks! **

**A A Battery: thanks for the review and sorry for the delay. I've ben a busy little bugger, but I got it up as fast as I could. **

**Shannonlover: a special thanks to you because I notice you've been reading for a long time and I haven't really responded. But I really do appreciate the impute. **

**Lauren Williams: thanks for the reply! I'm glad you liked it and I'm sorry for the wait. **

FATE

Drown

The night seemed to grow darker and darker as the survivors continued to manage living on the

beach. The fire burned brightly agenst the deep blue sky. Most of the group had gathered around

the fire, talking and attacking Locke's latest catch. Charlie sat Indian-style, guitar stretched across

his lap as he stugled to play with his bandaged fingers. He had regained his original attire and

seemed a thousand times more comfortable. Claire sat down beside him quietly and watched him

play. The light from the fire hit him at a strange angle, casting crazy shadows across his face. He

contentiously repositioned his fingers, trying to get the note right. His eyes fixed on the strings

before him. It took him a long time to realize Claire's company. He smiled at once he noticed she

was there. "Claire, I'd like you to meet Geni" he joked, indicating to the guitar. Claire giggled at

the name, witch had been engraved on the surface in cursive. He started up again, becoming

slightly annoyed with his clumsy hands. Finally, he set the guitar down across his legs and began

pulling at the white cloth taped around his fingers. Claire smiled and offered to help. She didn't a

much better job then he would have, carefully unwrapping them. The tiny cuts right above his

knuckles had pretty much healed. She examined his hand, noticering the black, crescent-shaped

marks that outlined his cuticles. "Is that nail polish?" she questioned, holding his hand closer to

her face to get a better look. "Yeah" he replied, some what embarrassed. "Wow. I've never met a

man who wheres finger polish before" she exclaimed with a laugh. "What can I say, I'm special"

he joked leaning back on the palm of his hands. She smiled and continued to hold his hand in hers.

The fire crackled before them as a small wind blew past. The weather on the island was truly

insane. One moment, it would be bright, sunny and hotter-than-hell, the next it was rainy, windy

cold and god knows what else. Tonight was cold and windy. as she tucked her hands into the

access cloth at the bottom of the oversized shirt in an attempt to keep warm. She secretly loved

this shirt. She didn't know exactly why. There wasn't anything particularly special about it. There

was just something about wearing a guys shirt that always seemed to make a girl feel good. Or

maybe it was because it was Charlie's. He glanced over at her and grinned before fixing back on

his guitar. No one seemed to be listening except her. But that was all the audience he needed.

After a moment of sitting, listening to him play an unfamiliar song, she leaned over, resting her

head on his shoulder. His smile widened as he continued to play, pretending as if he didn't notice.

But before he knew it, his cheeks turned red and his grin would not fade. "Are you cold?" he

asked suddenly, turning to face her. "Yes, very" she admitted, honestly. "Here" he offered, pulling

off his jacket. "Oh no, that's alright. I don't want you to be cold" she replied sincerely. "Im' not

cold. I'm quite warm, actually." he replied, matter-of-fact-ly. "Wait, let me get this straight. This

morning, you were sitting in the _smoldering_ heat with a jacket on and now your not cold?" she

questioned dramatically. "Yeah. Go on, take it" he insisted, pulling the coat around her. "Ok" she

agreed sarcastically, pulling her arms into the sleeves. Her body warmed instantly as the soft,

good-smelling fabric of the jacket wrapped around her. "Wow, I'm wearing two items of your

cloths now" she noted, as she tucked her hands inside the deep pockets. "How bout I take of the

pants and make it a complete deal?" he joked, before realizing what he was saying. "Sorry" he

added quickly, loseing eye contact. She laughed, completely unoffended. "So your _really_ not

cold?" she questioned again, still not believing him. "Not at all" he replied confidently, the smile

gladly reclaiming its place. She shook her head with wonder. He leaned back on his elbows and

glanced over at the dark ocean. Suddenly his smile fadded. "What's wrong?" Claire asked, as he

clumsily pushed the guitar off his lap and stumbling to his feet. "Theres somebody out there" he

announced, running towards the water. Claire looked out as hard as she could, but saw nothing but

the black waves. He jolted full speed into the water, throwing his jacket off as he ran. He dove

under the dark water and swam hard into the deep. "What's he doing?" Kate asked, running up

beside Claire. "He says there's some one out there" Claire explained, worriedly. "I don't see any

one" she replied, squinting at the thick black sea. The only sign of life in the entire horizon was

Charlie, who was disappearing and reappearing through the waves. "What's going on?" Jack

demanded, popping up between them. "Charlie's gone insane!" Kate exclaimed before Claire could

explain. "What's he doing" Jack questioned, comely. "He says theres some one out there" Kate

answered, hands on hips. "Dude, theres no one out there" Hurly confirmed. "I'm going after him"

Jack announced, removing his shoes. Kate began to protest but then quickly closed her mouth. It

was no use trying to stop him. "Get me a flash light!" he demanded. Before he could remove his

other shoe Michael stood, ready with a small mag light in hand. Jack twisted it on and bit onto it,

holding it in his mouth so he could use both hands. He hit the waves and began swimming out after

Charlie. In his panic, Charlie had forgotten he couldn't swim. he was now strugling through the

heavy rolling waves, trying despretly to keep himself above water. With every swell his mouth was

filled with a salted splash. His body began to shake as he weakly chanced the phantom drowner. His

heart pounded at it became harder and harder to breath. His lungs felt heavy and empty at the same

time. His vision fadded with the pounding of the waves and the throbbing of his head. He felt

weightless. He could hear his name being called faintly in the distance. Almost inaudible at first, but

grew louder. _"Charlie!" a voice rang out from behind him. He turned to see a familiar face _

_running down the hall. She stopped short before him, and smiled. "Hey" she greeted cheerfully. _

"_Hey yourself" he replied, closing his locker. She blushed, shyly. "Come on, lets get you to class" _

_he the suggested, wrapping his arm across her shoulder. They passed through the various faces in _

_the hall, smiling only for each other. He hadn't removed his arm from her shoulders until they _

_reached the door, where he then turned to face her. "Later, luv" he said, placing his forehead _

_agenst hers and giving it a small peck. "Cheers" the girl replied, blushing once again. He began _

_to walk off, but then turned and planted one on her. A authority in a suit walked past, gave a _

_double take and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up suddenly, half dazed ,then gulped. The _

_man simply jabbed his thumb in the opposite direction down the hall, indicating for him to get to _

_class. He nodded and passively made his way down the hall. But turned one last time to see the _

_smiling, though extremely flushed face smile back at him and wave. _

He was just about to go under when, Finally, Jack reached him. He one arm around Charlie's waist

and used the other arm to guide himself through the waves. It was extremely difficult keeping the

two of them both above water, but he managed. He reached the shore, dragging Charlie but the

sleeves of his shirt onto the sand. The others gathered around and kneeled beside his unconchus

body. "Every body, stand back" jack ordered, needing room to operate sufficiently. The others

moved back quickly, but still kept the circle about him. Taking slow, heavy breaths, Jack began

pumping his folded hands agenst his check in an attempt to force his breath. The group stood in aw,

panicking in silence. Waiting despretly to see him finally gasp for air as jack continued the CPR

treatment. But he did not move.

_Charlie walked up the curb, hands in pockets. He knew he was in for it. This was the third time he _

_was late picking Amy up, and _was full ready to have his head bitten off. She sat on the benches

_before the opening door, looking straight ahead until she noticed him. "Sorry, I'm late" he _

_apologized weekly. His voice tired and strained. "Sit" she instructed, firmly. Looking up at him with _

_vague tentativeness. "Can't we just go home-"he began to protest, but then saw the seriousness in _

_her eyes and sat down beside her. "Charlie, what's wrong with you?" she questioned, shifting to face _

_him. "I said I was sorry" he replied, defensively. "I don't care that your late, Charlie. Its why _

_your late" she explained, not looking at him. He looked down, unable to think of anything to say. "I _

_can't stand to see you like this. You need to do something-"she began to lecture. Her voice quiet _

_but forceful. "What do you want me to do? I sorry I have responisbilties, but the band...its my life" _

_he protested, getting very excited. "No, Charlie. It's a dream life. Your getting sucked into _

_something way to powerful. You need to pull yourself out before its to late" she insisted, trying to _

_hold back a sob. It nearly crushed him to see her so upset. And he knew she was right. He lowered _

_his head and removed his sun glasses. "Your right." he agreed. This caught her by surprise. "Your _

_completely right. I'll stop" he nodded, his voice rasp and low. She smiled faintly and _

_put her had over his. "You're a good man, Charlie" she joked before leaning in to kiss him. _

Jack hurriedly began to push on his chest. Ben cried loudly, sensing every body else's fear. Claire

could not move. Finally, Charlie's mouth opened with a gasp, and he began to caught. She found he

breath and took a deep on before kneeling down beside him. He lifted himself onto his elbows and held the back of his head. He looked around, confused, until his eyes meet Claire's. Before either one of

them could speak, Jack began lecturing. "What the hell were you doing out there?!" he yelled, grabbing

him by the shoulders to catch his attention. He looked over, delayed, eyes wide. "There was someone

out there" he explained hurriedly. His body was shacking. "Charlie, no one was out there" Jack

explained forcefully, stareing him deep in the eye. "There was someone out there. I swear, I saw

someone" Charlie babbled in his defense as tears rolled down his eyes. He broke into a sob held his

hand to his mouth. The group now stared in quiet confusion. Jack sighed and patted him machanicly on

the shoulder. "Get him some blankets" he instructed, looking up at Kate. Her and Hurly turned and

headed towards one of the tents. Jack continued to pat him uncomfortably as his eyes trailed back out

to the ocean. "Come on, lets get him inside" Jack suggested, helping to his feet. He berried his arms

around his waist. The crowd watched as he walked past as if he were a man on trial who had just been

convicted. For some, this was the first time they had sceen of Charlie's drug-related insanity. For others,

it was simply another screw up on his part. Kate and Hurly scurried to the tent carrying piles of blankets.

"Alright good. Ok, Hurly go find some water" Jack commanded once they entered the tent. He had

begun his high-passed calm that only a doctor could manage, holding his head as he passed back and

forth. Claire had fallowed them into the tent and now was trying hopelessly to comfort both Charlie and

Benjy. "Water? He's covered in it" Hurly questioned, trying to bring some humor to the situation. "Just

do it" Jack ordered. Hurly rushed off to find water. "Here" Kate offered, taking Benjy in her arms and

began rocking him up and down. "Kate, come with me. Claire, can you stay with him?" Jack questioned,

half way out the door. Claire nodded in repose as she rubbed Charlie's back. They disappeared and

Charlie fell silent. His body shook, but he made no sound. "Get up" Claire instructed, standing to her

feet. He glanced up at her, his eyes glistening. He stood, letting the blankets fall of his shoulders. She

pulled at the him of his soaking-wet shirt in an attempt to remove it. "What are you doing?" he asked, softly as he operated my lifting his arms. "You can't stay in those close or you'll freeze" she explained,

pulling the blanket back around his shoulders. He nodded, understanding. She then pulled her arms

around his waist beneath the blanket, pushing herself agenst him. "Now, what are you doing?" he asked,

his voice shanking. "If we let the blood go to your arms and your legs to fast, your heart will fail" she

replied. "Since when are you the doctor?" he joked, though his voice still trembled along with the rest of

his body. "I learned that in ninth grade" she confessed, smiling. His skin was freezing as his arms hung

limply around her. But slowly he began to warm up. They stood, holding each other for a long moment

before Hurly found his way back in. He stopped dead in his tracks and the two both glanced over. "Uh,

here's your water" Hurly explained, uncomfortable, jiggling the little plastic bottle in his hand. "Thanks"

Charlie replied, embarrassed, as he reached for the bottle. Hurly nodded and wondered off again. Charlie

took a seat on the make-shift table and fumbled with the bottle cap. His hands were still to shaky to open

it. Claire sighed awkwardly, and brushed a fraid strand of hair back behind his ear. Finally he managed to

open the bottle and chugged it down. "Your relax, I'm gonna go see if I can find you some cloths" Claire

suggested, folding his shirt over her arm and ducking out of the tent. He closed the top once again and let

the bottle dangle in his hand. His body still shook, his lower lip quivered and went numb. His hair was

dripping water all down his face, makeing it difficult for him to see. His skin began to tingle and itch in

random places. His eyes burned and his nose felt raw. He sniffed and rubbed his hands agenst his face,

letting the bottle drop to the ground. He could here muffled voices outside, but couldn't under stand them.

Slowly the sound fadded into a fadded drown and his bruised eyes slowly fell shut. The sound of buzzing

flooded into his head, soft at first then growing louder and louder.

_His eyes opened to a small alarm clock stareing back at him from a hotel night stand. The red numbers _

_blinking to the aggravating beat of the never-ending buzz. Weakly he reached out a hand from under to _

_covers and slammed it down on the clock, silencing it instantly. He rolled onto his back and rolled his eyes shut, sighing tiredly. He glanced back at the clock and hopped up suddenly, realizing the time. He was late _

_once again. His head throbbed as he threw off the heavy comforter and rushed to the open draw across the _

_room in nothing but his boxers. Quickly, he dug through the draws in search of a decent shirt and pants. He _

_pulled on the tattered pair of jeans and fumbled with his zipper as he walked about the room in search of his _

_shoes. He pulled on the rugged pair of black chucks, grabbed his sun glasses and car keys and pulled the _

_fadded grey T-shirt over his head as he walked out the door. _

Claire once again found herself digging through the mound of unclaimed cloths witch had be come a daily

routine. She had just begun when her attention was caught by something else. Michael approached Jack,

who appeared to be walking in her direction. "Hey, hows the kid doing?" Michael asked, walking beside

him. "He's ok" Jack said, reassuringly. "Good. Uh, what exactly was he doing?" he questioned, curiously.

"He was trying to save someone who he thought was drowning" Jack replied, stopping to face him. "So

who was drowning?" Michael continued. "No one" Jack answered with a sigh. "So he was sing junk?"

Michael asked, trying to understand. "Basically, yes" Jack replied, hands on his hips as he dropped his

head.

"Is he sick?"

"Very"

"What's wrong with him?"

"Withdraws"

"Withdraws? From what?"

"As far as we know, heroine. God know's what else."

Claire listened from her post, knee deep in clothing. She brushed a strained back from her face as she watched the two converse. "So let me get this straight. I'm stuck on an island with some druggie who's

done nothing but start fights and now he's trying to get himself killed?!" Michael questioned angrily. "Calm

down" Jack suggested, trying to keep the peace. "No, I'm not gonna come down. I don't want my son to

be stuck on some island with someone like him!" Michael yelled, frustrated. "I don't want to be stuck on

this island at all, but theres not much we can do about that" Jack replied, showing the lightest hint of

emotion in his voice. Something he didn't do often. Michael mouth closed for a moment, and he was

speechless. "He's just going through some troubles, give him a chance" Locke chimed in from the table

beside Claire. He had been standing their, listening along side her the whole time, fiddling with his knife and

she hadn't noticed him until now. "Give him a chance? I'll be dammed if I'm gonna let my kid hang around

some Burt out crack head trying to give him a bad influence!" Michael protested harshly. "Bad influence?

He's just a kid!" Locke replied, defensively. "Bull shit!" Michael shot back. "Stop!" Claire yelled, the

whole island fell silence. The three turned to her. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. She hadn't

expected them to liston to her. Finally, she spoke. "What is wrong with you all? Incase you haven't noticed,

he's not 'just a kind'. Hes a grown man, just like the rest of you. So he has some issues and secrets, who

where doesn't? But hes in there right now trying to face them and your out here arguing like a bunch of

children! What gives you the right to judge him?" the three stood, speechless. Claire brushed past them and

headed towards the tent.

_the tiny bridge had ben blocked off. The ambulance and atleast five police cars crisis-crossed agenst the _

_road as a tun of men gathered around the edge of the bridge. Charlie stopped and climbed out of his car. _

"_Sir, your going to have to turn around" an Officer explained as he approached him. "What's going on?" _

_Charlie questioned, giving no regard to the officer's request. "There was an accident. Two cars were _

_headed towards each other, one tried to swerve around and drove straight off the bridge" the officer _

_explained casually. Charlie's eyes wondered to the same direction as everyone else. To the edge of the _

_bridge. He walked over and peered over the side. The car was still sticking half-way out of the water. His _

_heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach as he recognized the tiny listens plate. "Oh god" he muttered, in _

_shock as he backed away from the edge. "What's wrong, sir?" the officer asked, concerned. "I know the _

_people in that car" he explained, panicky. Trying despretly to breath. "Alright sir, calm down" the officer _

_suggested, holding his shoulder. His head was spinning, he felt as if he were about to pass out. The Car _

_belonged to a girl named Kim, a good friend of Amy's who often gave her a ride home whenever he was _

_late. "Why isn't any body down there?" he questioned suddenly, throwing the officer off guard. "Its to _

_dangerous-" he began to explain, but it was to late. Charlie throw off his jacket and walked over to the _

_edge. Without a second though he leaped off and dove in. He hit the icy water hard and began to swim_

_awkwardly. Every thing below the water went numb. The world around him was grey and foggy, but he _

_could see nothing but water. He reached the back of the car, patting his hands across the surface as he tried _

_to pull himself towards the edge. He found the window beneath the water and ducked under. The light _

_dimmed as he pulled himself beneath the surface, squinting hard to see inside. He noticed the window on _

_the other side had been busted open. No sign of life inside. He pulled himself back to the surface with a _

_gasp for air, turning his head bout in search of any movement. It had began to rain, and at first all he saw _

_was gentle movement. Then, far out in the distance he noticed something. Some one moving, strugling to _

_stay above water. He swam towards them full speed, pounding agenst the tiny black waves. His entire body _

_felt like it weighed a tun. He could feel something warm pulling in the back of his eye as his quacking arms _

_moved beneath the water. He passed out from the cold before he could reach her. _

She found Charlie passed out across the table, the moistened airline blanket flung

over less than half of his body. One arm lay across his bare stomach, the other dangled off the edge of the

table, about a foot above the discarded water bottle. His hair still dripped as his head twitched slightly for a

moment, then fell still. Claire sat down beside him and pulled off the DRIVE-SHAFT T-shirt she had

borrowed and laid it across him, pulling the rest of the blankets up. She moved her fingers trough his hair

gently, trying to sooth him though he was already asleep. Sawyer barged in and stopped when he saw her.

He grinned and dropped a small black suit-case down before him. "This is his. Though he might want it

back" he explained, eyeing her skeptically. She didn't speak, instead she turned her attention away from him.

After a moment he gave her a wink and a smirk, then turned back out. She fumbled with Charlie's mattered

hair for anther moment before the suitcase caught her eye. Curiously, she left his side and kneeled down

before the beckoning black bag. She unzipped it slowly and began rummaging through it. A pair of head

phones, a full case of CDs and atleast seven note books. One of the books fell open as she moved it aside,

and a picture that had ben taped onto the cover-back caught her eye. It was a photo of Charlie, although he

was much younger. His hair was shorter and lighter, and his eyes were covered by a pair of dark sunglasses.

His arm was around a very pretty young girl. Beneath It stood another photo of the same girl by herself. It

looked like a school portraits. Claire smiled lightly as she lifted the book onto her lap. She was suddenly

startled by the sound of rustling blankets as Charlie began to come out of his sleep. She looked over his

shoulder and saw him sit up. "How do you feel?" she asked, moving over and sitting beside him. "Better" he

said softly, holding his head. His eyes were only half-open. They trailed across the room and stopped on the

note book, witch still laid open on the ground. He lowered his head and let his hand slide to the back of his

neck. "Is she your girl friend?" Claire asked, softly. "At one time, yes" he replied, showing small sign of

detachment. "What happened?" she asked, studding the side of his face. "She died, in a car accident about

five years ago" he explained, unable to look at her. This caught her off guard. She didn't know what to say,

although she now understood him a tiny bit better. They sat in silence for a while. He stared off into the

distance.


	9. The Good Charlie

Disclaimer: don't own lost. Anyway, this chapter is pretty short and sweet. It's a bit of a reliever compared to some of the previous chapters, so be ready for a good bit of romance. I have hopes to continue the happy mood for a little while. I've been playing with some possible ideas, and I'm not yet sure how far I want them to lead. If you have any opinions on the matter, please let me know. With that said, on with the show!

**Lort3-hp3: thanks for reading! **

**Lauren Williams: I'm glad you liked it, sorry I made you wait so long. **

**Shannonlover 1: yeah, that's what I was indicating. Don't worry, it gets a little more pleasant in the next chapter. **

**A A Battery: hey, thanks for the heads up, I have no clue how I managed to get it on there twice.**

FATE

The Good Charlie

Claire woke up on the floor, wrapped in a pile of airline blankets. The sun shined in through the

white plastic walls and ceiling of the make-shaft tent. She sat up and looked around. Charlie was

missing, along with her shirt. For a moment she had to try hard to remember if anything of

'interest" had occurred. After a moment, she remembered giving him back his shirt and sighed

with relief and mild disappointment all at the same time. She pulled herself up on the table, her

legs not quite ready to stand, and eyed the room in search of a shirt. she didn't know exactly why

proper attire was necessary, seeing that it was ten-hundred degrees and she was in nothing less

than a bathing suite top. And after all, Shannon, Kate and some of the other survivors had been

running about in their bikinis for weeks. Decent modesty, she supposed as leaned back agenst the

table and sighed. The room was full of nothing but equipment and empty luggage bags. Each tent

had begun to serve a purpose on the island. First, there was a "house" type tent for each little

group. Michael and Walk, Jin and Sun, Shannon and Boone and even good old Kate and Jack.

Then there were some individual "apartment" types for the rest of them, witch her normally much

small and didn't have walls. Just a white tarp pulled over a couple of poles for shelter and shade.

This particular tent served as a hospital, although her and Charlie had spent so many nights in there

it had almost become their own little home. Unfortunately, like the rest of the homes, however, this

one did not consist of any personal belongings. Witch excluded clothing of any sort. She found,

frustrated and began to worry on how she'd make half way across the island in her bra and not be

noticed. The little white flap-of-a-door swung open and Kate emerged. "Hey" she greeted with a

grin. "Hey" Claire smiled back, though less enthusiastic. "What's wrong?" Kate questioned,

standing with her arms folded across from her. "Nothing really, I can't find a shirt" she explained,

squinting. A good part of her wanted nothing to do with clothing at all. It was way to hot to be

covering up. "We'll its your lucky day" Kate replied cheerfully. "Why, do you have one?" Claire

asked graciously. "Well no, but every ones doing laundry, incase you haven't noticed" Kate

explained, indicating to her stomach, witch was bear. She was sporting the undergarments as well,

and with shorts no less. Claire smiled foolishly. "Come on" Kate suggested, tilting her head towards

the opening. "Join the party".

Claire emerged from the small isolated tent behind Kate, into the hot bright sun. they made their

way through the giant webs of cloths lines covered in all sorts of apparel, once again. "We should

do laundry every day" Claire said, randomly, as they walked. "Why?" Kate asked, confused.

"Because, look at every one. All smiling, every ones getting along. No one trying to kill any one.

Everybody's...happy" she explained, repricing her tan fisher hat from a pile off to the side and

plopping it on top of her head. "That's because were all half naked" Kate replied sarchasticly. The

two laughed for a moment as they ducked under a rather low cloths line. "Wheres Ben?" Claire

asked, slightly concerned. "Oh, he's with Charlie" Kate explained after thinking for a moment.

Claire smiled at the thought of Charlie being stuck with a baby for more then two seconds. Though,

in all honesty, she couldn't help but smile any time Charlie entered her mind. Despite his recent miss

haps, witch have been many, that seemed to have given him a bad reputation amongst many of the

group, witch normally would have lowered her opinion of him some what, she saw something

different in Charlie. Ever since the day they meet, when he continuously tried to make her laugh

with pathetic jokes, he had been able to make her smile like no one else. Kate caught this unique

grin and gave her a playfully accusing glance. Instead of defending the subject, like she normally

would have, she ignored her and continued to walk along, smiling. She had long ago kicked off her

pair of fadded, blue, high-top chuck's and recover a plain brown halter top from the pile of freshly

clean cloths. Her and Kate chatted for a while until Kate spotted Jack off by himself and had to go

investigate. Unoffended, Claire continued to walk an soon found Charlie and Ben behind the large

chunk of plain left from the crash, not far from the shoreline. A canvas had ben attached to the edge

of wreckage on one side, and attached to two large metal poles on the other, makeing a nice little

tent. The inside consisted of a few bags, one of witch she recognized from the previous night, one

of the broken airplane Chairs, a small cylinder-shaped piece of shrapnel with on other piece draped

over it, forming a small table, and Charlie's guitar case. Charlie himself stood just outside of the

border line's of the tent, holding Ben agenst his Chest. She walked over smiling and stood beside

him. "Nice little place you've got here" she complimented, eying over the homey little section he

had claimed. "Yeah well, it's shade and it's a place to keep my shit" he replied, modestly, brushing

back his messy hair. He still looked pretty ruff and worn out from the night before, but his mood

had graciously improved. "Have a seat" he suggested, gesturing towards the empty airline chair that

now almost resembled a recliner. She plopped down into the chair and grinned up at him from

beneath the rim of her hat. "So, heard you've be taking care of my kid while I was out" she said,

conspiriously, every thing above her nose shadowed by the hat, leaving nothing but her smile, witch

pulled to the left when she talked. "Yea" he replied, brushing his hands trough the thin white-blond

strands of hair atop Benjy's head. Claire smiled, and secretly began longing to hold him. Charlie

must have sensed it, because he plopped Ben down in her lap and Kenned down beside her, leaning

his back agenst the front of the chair beside her legs. Ben seemed to have grown every day. She

almost felt guilty when ever she left him on someone else, even if it did make her happy to see him

with Charlie. "Its nice, today" she noted, shifting Ben so that he was side was on her lap, leaning

back agenst her right arm. "Yeah, but the suns killing me" he added, indicating to the sunburn on

his arm. "That's why I've been hanging out under here. Last thing we need's a baby with sun burn"

he explained as he laid his head back agenst the chair, eyes closed. Jack and Kate were off in the

distance, flirting as usual. Waiting for another disaster to happen so they could run off and play hero

together in the jungle. "I wonder when they're just gonna get it over with" Charlie noted, shifting

bit on the sand. "What do you mean?" Claire asked, glancing down at him. "I think you know full

well what I mean. Two of them have been flirting since the plain crashed. Hell, they were probably

flirting while the plain crashed!" he exclaimed sarchasticly. Claire laughed and shook her head,

pretending to disapprove. Although, he made a great point. "Hi, how are you? Well actually, I'm a

little tight on oxygen, what with the plain crashing and all. Well, how's about I give you some

mouth to mouth? After all I am a doctor" He mimimicked, changing his voice for each speaker.

Claire cracked up despite his pathetic impressions. "Your horrible" Claire teased, shaking her head

as she tried not to laugh. He grinned as if it were a compliment and continued to watch the two. "I

see you recovered some of your own cloths" Claire noted. He was wearing a slightly different drive

shaft T shirt, same style but with a different style of wrighting for the logo, plus it looked newer

than the last. The geans he wore could belong to any body, but the torn knees and the sharpie

scribble running up and down the legs simply screamed _Charlie. _"Yeah, but I'm wearing women's

underwear" he joked. Claire laughed even harder. It was great hearing him crack jokes again. Ben

hiccuped to break the silence. Charlie turned and patted him on the head. It had become clear now

that he would make a better father then Claire's previous interest. Witch probably wouldn't have

made a difference seeing that they may never get off the island. But now its was inevitable that

Charlie could be the only father figure in Ben's life. After a moment, Charlie sighed and stood to his feet. He faced the ocean and scratched at the back of his head for a moment. His eyes narrowed, in

thought. She wanted to ask exactly what he was thinking, but new how much that aggravated men. So

instead she just relaxed, leaning her head back agenst the rest and looking out at the ocean with him.

She turned only once she could clearly here some one approaching. She glanced up to see Michael

standing just out side the shadow as if it were a door step. "Hey" he said uncomfortable, grabbing the

attention of them both. "We got some more of this plastic stuff out of the plain, thought you might

want it" he explained, indicating the pile of white-plastic tarp flung across his arms. "Thanks" Charlie

replied, cheerfully and went over to help him with the pile. "Nice" Michael joked,

looking around at the interior of the cosey little tent. "Ocean view, air conditioning, top of the line

furniture. All it really needs is a few walls" he added as the two unfolded the tarp's across the sand.

"Rock stars life, I guess" Charlie shrugged with a smile, rolling out the last of the tarps. "I'd be glad to

help" Michael offered as the two both stood up straight once again. "Nah, its alright. Not much to do

really, just pen em' up-"Charlie explained, squinting up at the billow plastic with hung over head, that

had ben so difficult to create. It wasn't so much skill as it was a matter of science. The side of the plain

being atleast ten feet of the ground, and the poles raised at seven. Plus, Charlie wasn't exactly a man of

stature. It would be difficult to get done alone. "On second though" he gave in, turning to Michael with

a Friendly grin. This must if been his way of pay back, Claire though, as she watched the two fumble

agenst flying plastic and the wind. He didn't pay any attention to her, perhaps because he was

embarrassed. But what ever the reason, she didn't mind. She was perfectly content with not helping.

She was still tired, and had a three hundred pound child bouncing on her thigh. Besides, it would have

been impossible to help while she was jugging Ben, who had grown tremendously despite the small

food supply he'd been receiving. Charlie, though not spoken, did not ignore her at all. He'd give her a

smile every time his eyes met hers, often forgetting what he was doing and messing things up. He had already managed to trip on three occasions, being then attacked by Vincente, who was playing with

Walt near by. But with in a half an hour or less, the place had four flimsy walls pulled tight between the

poles and the side of the Plain. It kept the inside cool, although they were raised two inches of the

ground. A flap was cut out for a door with the help of one of Locke's four-thousand knifes. The two

stood back, admiring their work. "Hmm, needs a sun roof" Charlie noted sarchasticly, hand folded over

the curve of his chin. "And a fire place" Michael added, with the same gesture. "How about windows?"

Walt chimed in, looking up at the two in confusion. Claire pinned the door-flap open and emerged from

the shade to observe the progress. She stood beside Charlie with ben rested on her hip and squinted,

examining their work. "What do you think, luv?" Charlie asked, turning to her. "Fantastic" she mused,

keeping a straight face for a mere second. "Well" Charlie spoke up, brushing off his hands, "this calls

for a celebration! And when I say celebration, I mean food. Wheres the mighty hunter?" he proclaimed

sarcastically, looking about the island. "Hes over there doing... something" Walt explained, pointing in

his general direction. He was in fact doing something, though it was difficult to tell exactly what, from

their point of view. "Right, then. You all stay here, relax. I'll go see what's on the menu" he suggested,

and headed off to the Locke's personal station. Locke was one of the many who had developed their

own persona tent early own. It was very small, not big enough to fit anything but himself and his

knives, but served a place for him to go when it rains, if he felt like going in doors. Otherwise, he spent

all his time out doors. He was sitting beside the extinguished camp fire outside his tent, carving away at

something. Charlie plopped down on the sand beside him. "What'ca doing?" He questioned, trying to

see what was in his hand. He couldn't tell. "Candles" Locke replied, moving the knife away. In his palm

lay a slender piece wax, most likely from the bees witch had attacked him, wrapped around a small

string. Charlie nodded, noticing a pile of similar white-translucent sticks of wax atleast a foot high. "so,

what's the latest catch?" he asked, his mind was set on food. The withdraws had destroyed any type of apatite witch he may have had, leaving him eternally starved over the past week. But now the

withdraws had seceded and he was left with pure hunger. "Depends" Locke replied, "when's the last

time you ate?" Charlie looked at the sand for a moment, then back at him. "About a week" he

confessed, his stomach growling as he spoke. "The whole parties gritty famished" he added, tilting his

head in the direction of his flat. Michael, Claire and Walt were convecting, paying little attention to

them. Locke nodded. "Well, the pork's being cooked at this very moment" he explained, indicating

towards a small fire in the distance with a pig roasting over it. "Thanks" Charlie replied, disappointed.

He began to pull himself off the ground. "Charlie" Locke said, stopping him. Charlie lowered himself

back to the sand, looking him in the eye. "Its nice to have you back" Locke smiled, he hadn't sceen that

often. He smiled back, apreciately, then rose to his feet.

The sun had grown lower in the sky, but still shown rather bright as after noon fell. The air had gotten

cooler and breezes were regular. Charlie had rejoined the others to await his food. Michael stood

solemnly, watching Walk play with his dog on the floor. Some where he had retrieve a frisbee and was

tossing it back and forth. Charlie and Claire sat on the ground just outside the tent, side by side. Her

legs out stretched, Ben nestled in her lap. He had stolen her hat, witch now hung over his face. They

had been stareing out into know where for the past couple minutes without a word. Although the good

Charlie had returned, his mind was fixed on something un known. "Its so calm, peace full" Claire noted,

looking out to the horizon. "It'll probably rain soon" Michael explained skeptically, he had been

stareing in the same direction. "Better enjoy it, then" Charlie said, smiling over at Claire. Locke and

Hurly approached, carrying paper plates topped with slabs of dark meet. They handed them out and took

seats on the sand. Charlie began poking at the meat with his spoork, wearily. He had eaten it once

before, but couldn't recall the taste. He glanced up at Claire, who was feeding Ben little chunks of her

own spoork. His stomach gargled, urging him on. He held his breath and took a bite. It tasted like under

cooked stake would, but with a hint of pork. Not nearly as nauseating as he had expected. Contempt with

the particular taste, he dug in. Jack and Kate were off a few feet, sitting on a long piece of metal, eating

away. Charlie half expected them to feed each other as he looked up from his plate. Now, he was ready

to vomited. "Just ignore them" Claire suggested, reading the discussed expression on his face. He looked

away and continued working on his food. His legs were pulled up to his chest, the plate awkwardly

balanced across his knees. He chewed the tender meat for a moment, stareing at his half empty plate

before his eyes wondedered back to the two. Claire giggled. "What?" he asked, mouth still full. "Your

hopeless" she explained with a mocking grin. "I'm hopeless? They're the hopeless ones. They're need to

get a room" he exclaimed a bit to loud, catching their attention for a moment. They brushed it off and

continued talking. "They probably think the same thing about us" Claire replied conspicuously, leaning

her head close to his. With that said, she stoop up to dispose of her plate. The comment caught him

temporarily off guard. He sat silently for a moment, thinking about what she had just said. He had never

wondered what others thought of them. Clearly, they were no where near as sickening as Jack and Kate,

_were they?_ It began to rain, and soon, the others began to scurry off. Jack and Kate headed off in one

direction to their little twin tents witch were almost connected. Michael and Walt headed off in another

direction to their own, Vincent fallowing behind. "Later dude" Hurly said, pulling himself off the ground.

"Cheers" Charlie murmured in a meek response. Hurly headed off to his own tent just as Claire returned,

Ben wrapped in a large T-shirt beneath her arms. She had retrieve her hat from his grip and was now

trying to hold it on her head as she walked. "You have any where to go?" Charlie asked, rising to his feet.

"Not really" she replied, shifting her wight to better balance Ben. "Well then, Ladies first" he suggested,

holding the flap-door open. She smiled and ducked inside, he fallowed behind.

Claire walk up on the floor. They had made a bed out of a small pile of blankets on the ground with a few

layers of metal beneath it to keep it form getting soaked by the rain, witch was still falling steady agenst

the plastic roof. She felt warm beneath the blankets, her legs tingled from the warmth. She sat up slowly

and looked around. It was dim inside, the small candles witch were scattered across the room flickered in

the rain. Ben was asleep not far away in his own little cradle, a curved piece of shrapnel with a blanket

bundled in it. She noticed Charlie as he returned through the small door with a small black bag over his

shoulder. The bag was her own. It contained mostly baby products, along with a few books on astrology.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" he whispered, laying the bag down in a corner of the room. "Not at all" She

lied, sheepishly looking back at him. He looked over at Ben, who was sleeping soundly, and cracked his

neck. Claire watched as he brushed the hair back from his face and gave a small yawn. He looked

exhausted. "You should get some sleep" she suggested, her words half broken off by an unexpected

yawn. "So should you" he teased, rubbing the back of his neck. She smiled and patted an empty space on

the blankets beside her. His hand dropped to his side, caught of guard by the gesture. He gave a faint

smile and made his way over to the blankets. He laid flat on his back, not quite ready to get

comfortable. Claire, how ever, was wasting no time to get back in sleep. She shifted to her side, one

beneath a pillow, and let her eyes close. But after a moment, his alertness began to edge her awake. She

glanced back up at him, noticering that he had yet to actually lay down. "Can you sleep like that?" she

teased, pushing herself back up and resting her weight on one arm. He smiled, embarrassed, and leaned

back agenst the other pillow. He shifted, in an attempt to get comfortable, knowing his mind would not

let him rest. He looked back at her to see if she was satisfied. She wasn't. "What?" he questioned, rasing

an eye brow. She smiled secretively, brushing a piece of hair back begun her ear. The rest of her hair,

witch was parted unusually to the left, hung loosely across her bare shoulders. The thin sleeves of the

burgundy tank she was wearing had slipped down her arm on both sides and the necklace she wore, with

some Chinese wrighting on it, dangled from her neck. The candle light caught her eyes, witch sparkled

blue. Before he realized what was going on, she leaned down to kiss him. It was no more than a peck,

witch lasted no more than a second. But still left him in aw long after she curled back into her spot under

the blankets beside him. He laid on his back, stareing up at the sealing. The lights flickered across the

plastic to the beat of the rain, witch made it shift with every added drop. Slowly, his eyes fell shut.

Finally, he could rest.


	10. The Eye of the Storm

Disclaimer: I don't own lost. On another note, because I'm facing an creative dry-spell, and because I want to keep some of the information as close to the true plot as possible, it may be a while before this story has another good twist. I will be updating, but anthill after "Raised by another" atleast, the story will continue to be shot and most likely romantic. But don't be discourage, because something interesting will happen soon.

**Lauren Williams: always a pleasure **

**A A Battery: aw, thank you. They are adorable, and for the record, you can sew me if you like but I don't have any money :D. **

FATE:

The Eye of The Storm

Charlie awoke to the sound of rain beating down on the shifting plastic ceiling as it had for the

past three nights. He sat up and looked around, waiting for his eyes to adjust in the dark. The

majority of the candles had been blown out, minus a few on one of the tables in the far left corner.

He felt the empty space beside him, still warm from where Claire had laid. He was suddenly aware

that he couldn't see her, and didn't know where she was. "Claire?" he whispered, hoarsely. He

heard a rustle from the door area and looked over. Claire had been sitting in the door way the

entire time. She sat with her back to him, head stareing back with surprise over her shoulder. Her

bare legs outreached into the rain. "Hi" she whispered back, wrinkling up her nose. "Did I wake

you?" she then asked, pulling one of her legs up to her chest. "No" he lied, still half asleep. "What

are you doing?" he asked, flipping the blankets off of what little was covered and scooting over to

her. "I can't sleep" she replied, rubbing her hand across her knee. "So sticking yourself out the

door is going to help?" he questioned sarcastically, pulling up beside her. He was almost in a laying

position, putting most of his weight on one hand, witch laid right before her thigh. "Your not

afraid of a little rain, are you Charlie?" she teased playfully. "Not at all, just, thought It might be

cold" he replied with a shrug. "Of corse its cold, its rain. Theres not warm rain" she agreed,

playing master of the obvious. "So you are cold?" he accused playfully, rasing one eye brow. "A bit" she confessed, biting her lip. "In that case, maybe I should warm you up" he replied,

suggestively, leaning in teasingly close to her so that their faces were only inches apart.

Claire, unable to keep a straight face, burst into to laughter.

"what?" he questioned, innocently, laughing himself. She tried to hold it together, closing

her mouth, but couldn't resist. She put her head down on his shoulder as her entire body shook

with laughter. "Very funny" he agreed Sarchasticly. "I'm sorry" she apologized in between giggles,

covering her mouth in an attempt to stop. "Alright, its not that funny, is it?" he questioned,

skeptically, tilting his head to the side. She nodded, unable to talk. A quick snicker, then burst back

into another full-blown laughing fit. Charlie waited for a moment impatiently hoping she would

grab a hold of herself. It didn't work. "theres no stopping you, is there?" he questioned, wearily.

She tried to say no, but no sound came out. There for, she responded by shaking her head. She

was caught off gard when he leaned in to kiss her. Needless to say, she stopped laughing. Stopped

breathing, thinking, she couldn't even remember what she had been laughing about. Charlie was,

by far the greatest kiss she had ever experienced. Before him, she had developed the Idea that a

kiss, is a kiss. A simple jester that took no talent or skill. A act witch she would normally respond

to with a general appreciation and slight embarrassment. But Charlie was a whole new world of

reactions. Kissing was now phenomenal, a act that only he could masterly perform. And

afterwards, her cheeks turned red and her smile would not fade away. They're lips parted and she

felt her skin turn red. She looked down, shyly. Charlie placed another kiss on her forehead, then

leaned back with a contempt smile. They sat silently for a moment, recovering. Glancing at each

other ocasionly. After a moment, Claire pulled herself off the ground and ducked out the door

way. "Where are you going?" Charlie questioned from inside. "Come on" she suggested, leaning

down so that the could see him through the door. "Its freezing!" he protested, giving her the 'are-

you-mad?' look. "No it's not. Oh, come on!" she insisted, tugging at his arm. He couldn't resist.

With a sigh, he pulled himself up and fallowed her out into the pouring rain. "So what _exactly_ is

the point of this?" he asked as he walked quickly behind her. "Oh stop being such a baby" she

teases, keeping a lose grip oh his hand. "I'm not" he replied, defensively. "Are too"

she protested playfully, stopping to face him. "Am not" he insisted childishly, wrapping his arms

around her waist. "Fine, you win" she gave in, giving him a quick peck. "Good" he replied

triumphantly with a sly grin. He went in for anther kiss, but before even a second had passed, they

herd a cry coming from inside the tent. Claire gave him a quick smile, then headed back to the tent.

Slightly disappointed, he fallowed. Claire kneeled down and lifted him out of his 'crib'. Charlie

pulled up beside her, resting his head on her shoulder as he attempted to compere the him as well.

Her skin was ice-cold, he couldn't believe she wasn't shivering. He himself was shaking like a leaf,

but then again that had almost become and involuntary habit. "I never know what wrong with him"

Claire sighed helplessly. "Maybe he's cold" Charlie suggested, coming out far more sarcastic than he

had meant. Claire rolled her eyes and continued to rock Ben in her arms. Charlie's hand rested on the

bundle of blankets, trying to calm him. There was nothing they could do but keep him company. "I

guess we won't be getting much sleep tonight" Claire noted with exhaustion. "That's alright" Charlie

replied, planting a quick peck on her cheek, witch then led down to her neck."Charlie"she

whispered with a giggle, pulling herself away. "Sorry," he muttered,"I can't help it." She smiled and

leaned back agenst him. He pulled his arms around her waist and rested his head on top of hers.

After a while, the crying stopped, and his eyes slowly began to close. "I think hes asleep" Claire

whispered, looking back at Charlie over her shoulder. He smiled back, looking over her shoulder at

the child's sleeping face. They sat silently for another moment, admiring him. Suddenly, they herd a

heavy rumble from out side. Claire jumped, surprised. "What was that?" she questioned, looking

around the room. It sounded again, louder this time. They jumped again. "I don't know. Thunder

maybe?" her replied optimistically. They both knew full well it was not thunder. Suddenly, the door

flap to their tent flung open. "Guys, come on" Jack whimpered from the door way. Confused, the

two fallowed him out. The whole island was covered with people in night close, scattered across the

sand. "What's going on?" Charlie whispered loudly, standing close by him. "Shh" he replied, looking

out into the woods. Another rumble came from within, the trees bending and snapping with every

sound. The dark grey clouds rolled furiously over head. Rain still poured down. Every one seemed

to be orbiting towards jack. "What do we do?" Kate asked, moving up beside him. "How am I

suppose to know?" he whispered back, appearing to be offended by the question. The whole island

stood in panic and confusion. What ever it was, it was getting closer and there was no where to run.

A screech came out from the bundle wrapped tightly in Claire's arms. Evry one's attention fell on

her."hey, keep it down. You trying to get us all killed?" Sowyer snapped, speaking over the

wavering cries. Claire continued her weak attempt to calm him, unfazed by the comment. "I don't

think it matters" Sayid shoot back, passive aggressively. Slowly, as they watched, the creature

seemed to stop and turn away. The volume fadded as it moseyed back into the jungle. The island

breathed with relief. The rain ceased, only Ben's faint cries remained. As the tension fadded, every

one slowly departed, heading back to their own sections of the island.

It had been two months since the plain crashed, and life on the island had become entirely bearable.

Despite the limited supplies given to them, they had managed to build a small community, that was

growing bigger and more efficient every day. Locke provided the food, taking three out on a hunt

twice a week. Sayid was the scientist, he had managed to explore about half the island and was

constantly working out any mathematical or geographical issue that came to them. Kate was the

sherif, she took it upon herself to keep the peace. Jack, of chores was the doctor, Michael the

handy man, Boone was the safety inspector. Hurly had come up with various ideas to improve

their enjoyment of the island. An unspoken system of government had fallen upon them, each day

growing closer and closer to civilization. And though the idea of being rescued remained fresh in

every ones mind, a part of it had been forgotten. Life on the island wasn't very different from life

at home. But Charlie and Claire had excluded themselves from this system. Claire, having to care

for her child day and night, was normally unable and un wanted at help, and Charlie had

subconsciously labeled himself useless, tending only to Claire and her little one. They rarely left

their tent on the shoreline, and if they did, it was together. Every day the sun would be bright and

hot, and they would sit either inside in the shade, or out infront of their home in the sun. around

mid after noon, it would begin to go grey. They'd get their daily share from Locke, sit around with

the rest of the tribe at the local campfire and eat, then head back home before the rain came. Rain

came sequentially every single night, the tent would glow red with the flickering lights of the

candles. And they would sleep side by side in each others arms, with no words. Jack, Sayid and

Michael had been working on a radical idea of erosion, to bring the fresh water from various points

on the island to the beach. They had been in and out of the jungle off and on for about three days,

word was they were makeing progress. Jack some how managed to return every night for the

community cook out where he would make his usual teasing advances with Kate. "They're the

reason why it rains every night, always macking up a storm" Charlie noted, on one of their most

disgusting waves of flirtation. Claire had told him to bite his toung, his reply was the suggestion

that she bite it for him. Hurly's remark to both was that they were becoming more like Jack and

Kate every day. After that comment Charlie ceased to tease them until after a particular night

when some questionable moaning noises could be heard far and wide. The source, though not

proven, was un mistakenly close to their neighboring tents belonging to Jack and Kate. That night,

unable to sleep because of those very sounds, Charlie concluded that they had taken his advice and

had half a mind to go over there and interrupt.

Yes, life on the beach had become routine. And it had been long since they had even herd from the

unknown creature from inside the jungle. Nor, had any one gotten hurt. Life on the island had become

almost boring as they found themselves trapped in a tropical suburban hell. On the surface, it appeared

natural. Every one was contempt, agreeable with the situation. But underneath they were enveloped in

a deep state of panic. This was the tragedy waiting to happen, the eye of the storm. Because all knew

there was no way in hell the island would let them live in peace. Something was bound to go wrong.


	11. The Waiting Room

A A Battery: It's very refreshing to see one of my readers so....enthusiastic. I'll update as soon as I can, shouldn't be long.

Shannonlover 1: I'm looking forward to it too. I'm really happy that the two of them becoming and item wasn't just a hopeful figment of my imagination.

FATE:

The Waiting Room

Claire sat out on the sand, legs stretched out before her. Although she had lived in Australia her

whole life, she never spent much time in the sun. Even in the summer, when she went to beaches

or a pool, she never tanned. Sun-tan lotion probably played a large role in this, seeing that there

was none on the island to be found. What little there had been had been used up, leaving the fair

of skin high-and-dry. She leaned back, supporting herself on her elbows, hat placed flimsily on her

head. "It is very hot" a voice noted from beside her. She glanced over. Sayid sat to her left,

almost mimicking her position. "Yes" she agreed with a friendly grin. "Where is Ben?" he asked,

shifting so that he was siting up straight, his arms rested across his knees. "He's inside with

Charlie, sleeping" she replied, amazed that it was past noon and neither one of them had even

stirred. "It is good to have him with us on the island," Sayid commented, "it gives us hope."

Claire beamed at the complement. "I worry, sometimes that growing up here will make life hard

for him" Claire replied thoughtfully, squinting back at him. "Why?" he asked inquisitively, like a

teacher would when they wanted you to explain your answer, although they already knew what it

was. "Raised in the wild? No school, books, he'll be the only child in LA who hasn't sceen a

Disney movie" she replied jokenly, though her point was serious. "I believe it will make him

stronger. Knowing that he survived certain death before he could even talk? Knowing he'd lived

through things that most adults hadn't faced in their entire lives before he could walk? He'll be the

bravest kid in LA" Said retorted, with a smile, knowing he had made an impact. Claire smiled at

the thought for a moment. "Besides, just because this is the wild doesn't mean he can't be

taught like a civilized person" he added with a metaphoric tone. "But how, theres nothing to-"she

began to question, but caught the contradicting look in his eyes and stopped. "Come with me" he

instructed, and rose to his feet.

She fallowed him over to Sowyer's tent, where he sat reading a book that clearly didn't belong to

him. He smirked when they approached, without looking up. "Sowyer" Sayid exclaimed firmly,

they way a Sargent spoke to his troops. "Can I help you?" he asked, folding the book shut and

placing it on his lap. He looked him dead in the eye, then trailed over to Claire's. she was nervous

standing by the two with such violent tension loaming about. "Well hello there, sweat heart. You

come to beat me up to?" He joked sarcastically, a sentence directed to Sayid, although it was

spoken to her. Claire looked away from him, to intimidated by his history with her current

roommate and unadmittedly with herself. "You have one of Charlie's bags, correct?" Sayid

questioned, complete ignoring his remarks. "I believe I do" he replied slyly, letting them know

straight off that he was going to make this difficult. "What do you want for it?" he questioned,

cutting straight to the point. Sayid was raveling a very demanding, uniform side of him that only

seemed to emerge when he spoke to Sowyer. "Well" Sowyer replied suggestively, letting his eyes

trail back over to Claire. "Don't even think about it" Sayid threatened defensively. Claire was

surprised to see him act so protective of her. Sowyer glanced away for a moment, knowing that

he'd be caught-before-spoken, though his grin remained. "alright, you got me. But I don't think

there's really much you can give me Sayid" He replied, opening his book once again. Sayid gave

him a penetrating glare, not moving down. "Thank you, come again" Sowyer added, keeping the

eyes on the print infront of him. Sayid still was not backing down. Claire almost wanted him to.

The last thing she wanted was to be the cause of a fight. "Where are they, Sowyer?" he demanded

after a heavy sigh. "You must not have heard me clearly-"Sowyer retorted, closing the book once

again. She could see the anger building up inside him as he stood, fist clinched at his sides. "I heard

you. I chose to ignore you. Where are they?" he replied coldly. "Why the hell should I tell you?"

Sowyer questioned, leaning forward. He let the book in his hand drop to the ground. "What use

are they to you?" Sayid snapped, crossing his arms across his chest. "They're worth what ever I

can get for them" He replied smugly. Sayid twitched, about to head in for the kill. "Sayid" Claire

spoke up softly. He stopped and turned to her. "Its not important" she insisted, trying to convince

him to back down. "Are you sure?" he asked, looking her in the eye. She had expected him to

protest and was slightly caught of guard by his reticence. "Yeah, lets just go" she suggested.

"Alright" he agreed. He shot Sowyer a 'your lucky' glare before headed back to the shore line with

Claire.

He walked ahead of her, not noticering she had stopped. She was looking at the tent, witch was

rippling in the wind. "Claire" some one called from behind her. She turned around. Sowyer stand

only inches away from her, lingering over her. Surprised to see him there, she stumbled back a

step. "Here" he said, holding the black bag up with one hand. She glanced down at the bag then

back up at him, confused. "All you had to do was ask" he explained with a tilted grin. She

hesitated for moment, then took the bag from his hand. "Thank you" she said appreciatively. "No

problem sweat heart" he smirked. She pulled the bag over her shoulder and went to turn. He

placed a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, and next time you want something from me, don't send one of

your god damn soldiers" he added, letting the hand then drop off. She didn't know what to say.

"Claire" another voice called from behind her. She glanced over. Charlie was stand beside Sayid,

holding Ben in his arms. "Coming!" she called back. She gave Sowyer a quick glance, then headed

of to meet them. "What did he say to you?" Sayid interrogated as soon as she reached them.

"Nothing" Claire replied plainly, giving both Ben and Charlie a kiss on the cheek. "Are you sure?"

he questioned, begging for a reason to go over there and beat his ass. "No, he just gave me the bag"

she shrugged, pulling Ben into her arms. "That is all?" he continued, taking another step closer to

her. "Yes" she insisted, turning to face. "Alright, I'm just makeing sure" finally, he gave in. I'll talk

to you later" he added, giving each of the two a nod of recognition before heading off.

"What was that all about?" Charlie asked, after Sayid was out of range. "Oh nothing," she replied,

"I got your stuff back" she added, enthusiastically changing the subject. "Oh...thank you" he replied

appreciatively, though some what confused. "Why?" he asked, after a moment of thought.

"Actually, it was Sayid's idea" she explained. "Oh" he nodded, deciding to just let it slip away

rather than pester her about it. "Its really bright out" he noted, squinting up at the sky. "Isn't it

always" she pointed out, heading back to their tent. "Well yeah, but today its really..really bright"

He explained, walking at her side with his hands shoved in his pockets. "I guess so" she agreed

finly, as they reached the 'front yard' of their humble abode. He could sense the sarcasm in her

voice. "Well, perhaps it doesn't bother you as much, what with that hat and all" he shrugged,

leaning agenst the side of the plain as she plopped ben down on top of the blanket. Things had

gotten tremendously easier since he became able to sit up and crawl on his own. She didn't have to

lug him about all the time. "Aw, your jealous" she teased, plucking at the rhyme of the little fisher

hat atop her head. "Of what? The hat?" he questioned sarchasticly, as if she were crazy. She nodded

as her arms crossed, trying not to smile. "Oh no, she's discovered my secret plan" he teased

playfully. "To bad" she replied, playing along. A mischievous grin slid onto his face. With a swift,

cat-like movement he made a grab for a hat. Claire hoped back, doing the gesture while holding the hat secure to her skull. He smiled once again and made another grab at it with the opposite arm.

Claire dodged once again, pulling the hat entirely off this time and holding it firm in her hand.

Discarding his original approach, Charlie made a playfully tackle, knocking both her and himself to

the ground. Despite the fact that she had just hit the sand laughing, with Charlie pinned over her,

she managed to slide the hat beneath the small of her back, where he could not reach. His counter

attack as a deadly one. Tickling. He had just barley maneuvered his hand beneath the arch of her

back enough to where he could grip the them when he noticed the shadow hovering over them. He

looked up slowly, slightly embarrassed. Lock stood over them with his usual kindly expression

smiling down on them. "Sorry to uh..," he began, clearing his throat, " interrupt, but the food is

ready if your interested" he finished, his smile turning slightly suggestive. "Yeah, sure" Charlie

replied as if dazed. Locke gave a little nod, then headed back to his tent. Once he had gone, the

two both burst into laughter. "Well, that was embarrassing" Claire exclaimed, strugling to sit up.

"Don't worry, I don't think he thought much of it" Charlie replied, pulling himself to his feet. He

grabbed her hand and pulled her off the ground as well. "I hope not"she concluded, glancing back

at Locke. He sat infront of his tent, fiddling with his knife as usual, paying no attention to them.

"So, I guess we ought to get something to eat" Charlie suggested. Claire smiled with agreement.

He lifted Ben off his spot on the blanket, and lead the way to dinner.

Charlie opened his eyes. He had been slowly pulled out of his sleep by something unknown. A

feeling of panic, warning. A sense that something bad was going to happen. Slowly, as he awoke

a crescendo of coughing rang into his ears. Claire was in a position between laying and sitting

beside him. With her legs starched out infront of her, she supported her self with one arm, the

other hand cupped over her mouth. The coughing was coming from her. He sat up quickly and began rubbing her back, trying to sooth her. She continued to cough histaricly, both arms now

wrapped around her stomach as she leaned forward. Not knowing what else to do, he continued

to keep a steady motion up and down her back. She griped the cleave of his shirt as the coughing

fadded into heavy pants. After a moment, when she had almost caught her breath, he spoke.

"What's the matter?" was the only thing he could think to say. She straightened up, rolling her

head back. She closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths, completely oblivious to the fact that

he had said anything. The two trails running down her cheeks glistened as the candle light reached

her face. He waited another moment to let her recuperate. "Claire?" he questioned softly. her eye

caught his, and for a second she looked confused, as if she had never sceen him in her life. "Are

you aright? What happened?" he rambled, placing his hand on her shoulders. "I had a nightmare"

she explained, her eyes wondered around the room. Her whole body shook. She was still

in the dream. Having know his share of nightmares, Charlie under stood why she was so shaken

up. What escaped him was the fact that she had gone into a full-blown coughing fit afterwards. She

crumbled agenst him, laying her head on his shoulder. He pulled his arms around her, and tried his

best to camphorate her. Despite his effort, her body continued to tremble, and after a moment he

realized she was not just shaking, She was crying. He held her tighter, burying his head into her

shoulder. He was not crying, though a part of hem almost wanted to. He could feel the same thing

she felt, although he had no clue what she had sceen to make her so upset. Whatever it was hit him

deep in his stomach , and would not leave either of them alone until late that night.

Hours past by, and the two had finally worn themselves out. Clare laid back down, bundling herself

under the covers. She pulled herself agenst him as soon as he laid down beside her. She laid her

head agenst his chest, a drained and distant expression slowly fadded away as she drifted off to the

beat of his heart. He could not sleep, for whatever had came to her in that dream would torment him through out the night.

It wasn't until later the next morning when Charlie sought out to find Jack. The sun had just come

up less than two hours ago, and he had lied awake, worrying about Claire, who was fast asleep

beside him. He knew that she seemed fine, that it was just a nightmare. But that sense of danger

still lingered with him. Once every one else had started to wake, he decided to join them.

He found Jack outside his tent, armed with a watter bottle. Charlie hesitantly walked up behind

him. Before he could speak, Jack turned and squinted up at him. "Hey Charlie" he greeted,"what's

wrong?" Charlie stopped, caught off guard by his question. "Oh, its nothing really" he lied. He

didn't know how to explain to him that his feeling was no more than just that. From what he knew

about Jack, he was a man of science who wasn't about to worry over someone's instinct. Jack

studied him for a moment, twisting the cap to his water bottle back on. "Wheres Claire?" he asked,

after a moment. "Shes back at the tent" Charlie explained, gesturing towards it general direction.

Jack stare over at their tent for a moment, then stood. "Is she alright?" he asked, knowing very

well that Claire never slept in late. She was almost always the first awake, ever since the first night.

"Yeah, she's just sleeping" he explained, plopping down on a very large log that ran diagonal about

three feet from Jack and Kate's tent. Although his mind would not let him rest, his body was still

tired. "She had a nightmare last night, she was pretty shook up about. But she's fine now"

he added, talking more to himself than he was to Jack. Jack studied him once again, taking a seat on

a small box-shaped piece of debree witch also laid infront of their tent. "Are you sure?" he

questioned. He suspected something was wrong, just as Charlie did. Witch made the worry ten

times worse, knowing someone else had it too. "I guess so, I mean I think. She's been asleep pretty

much ever since" Charlie explained, looking back at the tent for a brief second. Jack nodded for a long time, thinking. "What was the dream about?" he questioned, after what seemed like an

eternity. "She didn't say," Charlie shrugged. "Must have been pretty bad though, cause she woke

up coughing and shit." something sparked in Jacks eyes that made his stomach sink. He was

beginning to panic. "She was coughing?" he asked, he was sounding more and more professional by

the second, witch meant something was terbly wrong. "Yeah. A lot" Charlie answered, the panic

starting to show in his voice. Jack glanced over at the tent once again. "You think she could be

sick?" he questioned, eyes darting back to Charlie. "You're the doctor" Charlie replied, dredging

his answer. "She could be," Jack replied thoughtfully, "let me take a look at her." with that he rose

to his feet and headed towards the tent. Charlie fallowed him inside, where he kneeled down next to

Claire. She opened her eyes, looking from one to the other with a grim confusion. She sat up

quickly, thinking something had gone wrong. It was no uprise, with the solemn expression they

both shared. "Calm down" Jack instructed, holding his hand out as if surrendering. "What's going

on?" She asked softly, her voice sounded strange. "We think you might be sick" Jack explained,

giving her a sympathetic look. Claire looked over at Charlie, then back at him again, still confused.

"I feel fine" she tried to ashore them, but the rasp in her voice spoke for her. Jack ignored her

comment and placed the back of his hand agenst her forehead. She was pale, to pale. Jack frowned

after a second, a pulled his hand away. "Your running a fever" he explained with a contradicting

tone. "But how?" she asked, "I haven't been doing anything different than the rest of you." Jack

sighed. "I don't know. You just relax alright? I'm gonna get you some water" Jack replied, pushing

himself up off the floor. Charlie took his place beside her as Jack ducked outside. Claire laid back

down, rolling her head to face him. "Sorry I ratted you out" He replied jokenly, wearing a fadded

smile. "Its alright, he would have found out sooner or later...I hope" she joked back, shifting

slightly. her skin had become very pale, a soft white color with heavy shadowing. As he thought of, she almost looked like a black and white photo stareing back at him, the only color being her eyes.

Even her lips had gown pale. "I must look awful" she found, noticering his captive stare. "Your

beautiful" he assured with all the seriousness of the world. She smiled wearily and rolled her head to

the other side. She gently moved her finger tips across the white, plastic-tarp of a wall, tracing the

water droops still left over from last nights rain. He stared at the flap, waiting for Jack to return.

"Charlie" she spoke once again, her voice soft, dry and hard to hear. His eyes snapped back to her.

"I know I didn't mention it last night, but the dream that I had, the night mare. It was-"she began to

explain, but before she could finish Jack returned carrying a very large water bottle. "Her you go" he

said, passing it over to her. To took it unenthusiastically, twisted off the top and took a sip. "I want

you to get some rest now, alright" he suggested fatherly. Claire nodded and got comfortable. Jack

signaled for Charlie to come with him. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and then fallowed Jack

outside.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Charlie asked once they had gotten out doors. "Well, in order to know I'd

have to know what she has" Jack explained with a sigh. "Wait, I thought you said she just had a

fever?" Charlie questioned. He was begging to panic. "She dose have a favor, but god knows what

else. We don't know what kind of diseases might exist on this island" Jack explained, makeing it seem

as if he were speaking in metical terms. Charlie nodded, understanding. He glanced back at the tent,

knowing he wouldn't be able to get his mind of her. "Hey" Jack said, catching his attention. "Let me

know when she wakes up" Jack instructed. He patted Charlie on the shoulder and headed off. Charlie

stood around for a long time before he went back in. Claire had drifted back to sleep, the bottle of

water resting in the curve of her arm. He stared at her for hours, waiting for her eyes to open. _Who _

_would have thought the island had a waiting room? _


	12. The Phantom of the Island

Disclaimer: I don't own lost. As for the story, I will be updating again soon. Comment please!

**A A Battery:** sorry I took so long! Hope you like it.

Jack had sent him into the jungle earlier that day to get more water. A task presented only because

Charlie had ben pestering him constantly about Claire. Her condition had grown worse over the night.

She was coughing constantly and her fever ran on high. Jack had been keeping her in quarantine

inside the tent, not wanting any one else to catch what ever she might have. Most of the island stayed

clear of the tent for their own safety. But Charlie had snuck in every chance he got to keep her

company without a symptom analysis. She had once again been trying to inform him of her dream

when Jack intruded. "Charlie, I though I told you to stay clear of hear" He said, towering over them.

"Well, I was just, uhh..." Charlie babbled, nervously. "I don't want to here it" Jack interrupted, before

he could make any sense. Charlie trailed off and went silent, stareing at his shoes. Jack sighed. "Come

out side" He suestested potently. Charlie began to fallow him out. "Wait" Claire piped up, barely

audible. Both stopped dead in their tracks and looked at her. She sat up as best she could, her tangled

hair flowing down over her shoulders. A dark circle around her eyes was the only sign of pigment in

her skin. "I'm not going to get any better lying around all day. And the last thing I want is to be

alone" Clair whispered. "Your not alone, Claire. I just don't want any one else getting sick" Jack tried

to explain, being sympathetic as he could. "And what about you? Your our doctor, if something

happens to you, then what?" She protested. Her voice cracked, and she began coughing. Charlie knelt

down at her side. Jack stared down at her with a look of guilt. He nodded without a word and left.

"Hes right you know" Charlie spoke, after her gagging had died down. "What?" she choked, shooting

him a confused look. "I shouldn't be in here. You need to be resting" he began to explain. "Charlie,

I want you here" She interrupted, placing her hand on his. Charlie looked down at the ground, then

back up at her. "Alright, I'll stay. But on one condition" he agreed. Claire turned to him cheerfully,

awaiting the terms. "You, have to get better" he ordered. "I'll try" She shrugged, a small cough

fallowing. Charlie tilted her chin up to face him. "Promise" he demanded, pushing his forehead agenst hers. "I promise" she agreed. They sealed the deal with a kiss on the lips.

They talked for an hour or so, but it wasn't long before she began to run out of energy. She fell asleep

a little past noon. The day had grown exceedingly hot, and Charlie, no longer able to stand sitting

inside the dank, airless tent, stepped outside. The conditions out doors were little better. The sun was

viciously bright. He wondered along the shore for a few hours, watching every one else go on with

their life. Every one had almost adapted to being there, even himself. The thought scared him. It had

been to long since he hand thought of his home back in LA. It wasn't much rely, not even his. He had

been living on the couch of his buddies apartment. But it was still his home. The first few weeks he had

wanted nothing more then the plop down onto that busted old couch and sleep for days. Now all he

could think about was Claire. For once, he was not thinking about himself. He worried about her, and

the baby, and all the other people that surrounded him. Each had their own past witch was no better

than his, each clearly open to danger. But some how he still managed to feel detached.

Before he knew it night came. Every one slowly pealed off to their tents as the sky went black. It was

the first night in a while when it hadn't rained. The air remained damp and humid into the night. He sat

still, stareing into the fire as he had once before. He had been lost in though before, but now his mind

was blank. Asleep while still being a wake. He was so dazed that he hadn't noticed Claire until she sat

down beside him. He looked over, surprised to see any one awake, exspeicaly her. "Your awake" he

noted, giving her a confused look. "Of choose I am, I've been sleeping all day" she teased. "You

shouldn't be out here" he suggested, glancing back at the tent where Jack slept. "Oh, don't start that"

she exclaimed, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Well when Jack comes out here and bites my head off I'm

blaming you" he fore warned with a grin across his face. "Duly noted" she agreed with a nod of her

head. "Feeling any better?" he questioned hopefully. "A little" she nodded. The fire crackled and s

sparked before them. "Claire," Charlie spoke "what do you want to do when we get off the island?"

He questioned thoughtfully. "I don't know. I mean, at first, I just wanted to go back home. But now

I don't think I can" she explained. "I mean now I have you and Ben and, things just wouldn't fell right.

Maybe I could travel or something" she shrugged, looking up at the sky. Her hands tucked in her lap,

knees up, hair flowing down over her shoulders. "Why, what will you do?" she questioned, turning to

him. "Uhh... get laid" he answered honestly, with a shrug. Claire broke into laughter. "I know, guy

answer," he added casually , "I know what you mean though, I don't think I could ever just go back

to living on someone's couch in LA. I might just have to do something with my life." she laughed again.

"You lived on a couch?" she asked, out raged. "yeah" he admitted with out shame. She laughed again,

laying her head on his shoulder. "Its so strange how people can complain and whine about all the

problems in their life, and then they're stranded on an island and they just..adapt. And life seems fine"

She mused thoughtfully, stareing out into the ocean. "Are you talking about any people in particular?"

He joked. "Well, us of chorse. Life here just seems so peaceful" she elaborated. "Two peaceful! I mean,

were being chased by a gigantic monster on an island in the middle of no where and here we are having

a decent conversation!" she continued excitedly, sitting back up. Her hands waved violently as she

spoke. "Its insane!" she finished with a short laugh. "I don't know. I just think it's a little strange" she

added, plopping her head back down on his shoulder. "Yeah" Charlie replied softly, stareing out into

the distance. The black waves rolled onto shore, and blended with the sky. The fire cackled and sparked.

There was no moon. The two sat quietly in thought. In the silence, a shriek pierced the ears, waking the

entire island. Charlie and Claire jumped to their feet at the sound. People popped out of their tents, eye

directed towards the dark jungle. Another scream came. Closer and louder the second round. Slowly,

they grouped together, orbiting closer to the edge of the woods. "Who is that?" Jack questioned softy.

Another scream over throwing his words. "Who's out there?!" he demanded, turning to his people.

Every one exchanged glances, no one appeared to be missing. After a moment, they looked back to Jack,

confused. Another shriek captured their full attention. All eye darted back to the woods, including J

Jack's, who spun around when the sound was heard. The sound seemed so close that who ever it

belonged to should emerge from the depths of the woods at any moment. But instead, there was nothing

but blackness. The only movement was the leaves moving in the wind, even that gave the illusion of a

person. They stood entirely still with a cat like awareness, cringing at each shrill, high pitched wail.

"Some one should go in there" Jack suggested huskily, sweat beading down his forehead. He didn't look

back to speak, but kept his gaze upon the swaying blackness as if in a trance. "What? Jack, no" Kate

protested, stomping up beside him. "We can't just let who ever's in there-" he began to explain. "You'll

be killed" She interrupted despretly, already knowing she'd lost. Jack's face fell into a determined

frown. "I'm going" he confirmed, pulling off his over shirt. He threw it to the ground and stormed into

the woods. Kate crossed her arms angrily, took a deep breath, shaking her head. They watched as jacks

running form dispread in the darkness. Another scream, then another. They grew loud and continuous.

Quick shirks that sound on beats. The voice was clearly female, loud and shrill. Kate headed off after,

him. Soon Sayid fallowed, whispering some name as he dispread into the trees. then Sawyer after him.

Boone moved from the circle, but was quickly pulled back. "Boone, no!" Shannon plead, keeping a firm

grip with both hands around his arm. "Let go" he demanded, looking her head in the eye. He pulled his

arm away and pushed through the trees. "Boone!" she called, standing at the head of the crowd hopeless.

The group watched as the jungle remained unchanged. Listening to the rustle of leaves, the crack of

waves, faint thunder and the blood curtailing screams, sounding repeatedly from the phantom of the

island. Vulnerable and afraid. Despretly waiting for their heros to return.


	13. Can't Argue With Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own lost. Here is the next chapter of the story. It contains a little bit of what happened in the last episode. I won't be updating until I get some reviews, so do your work. Hope you like it.

FATE

Can't Argue With Fate

Thunder rumbled over head. The sky turned from black to grey in a matter of seconds, witch

seemed to them like ages. They huddled together, lining the woods with paranoid observation.

The skies opens and rain began to fall slowly, despite the over bearing heat. Rain mixed with

sweat as it rain down the terrified faces. Its seemed like hours since they had left, when in reality it

had only been minutes. But reality on the island was nonexistent. Charlie was knocked out of his

daze when he felt Claire's freezing hand grasp the front of his shirt. He looked over just to catch

her before she fell. The crowd turned as he slowly lowered her to the ground. "Claire" he

exclaimed, panicky, trying to call her back. She lay across his arms, unconchus. Oblivious to his

pled. "Theres no doctor. There's no doctor!" Shannon screamed helplessly, tears rolled down her

cheeks along with the rain. "Stay calm" Locke suggested soothingly. It was to late. She began

gasping heavily. Holding her hand to her chest as she frantically reached for air. She began to

cough as Locke kept her from falling. Charlie continued with Claire, shaking her shoulders in a

desperate attempt to wake her. "Lay off her man" Michael said, nudging him aside. She laid flat

on the sand, motionless. He breathed heavily, letting the panic get to him. Claire coughed as her

body gave a light shake. _His heart jumped. Thank god, shes alive. _Michael and him lifted her into a

sitting position as she coughed, holding her and to her mouth. Shannon continued to gasp like a

fish out of water. They lowered her to the ground, and tried to calmly keep her mind off it. But

with no doctor around and her brother off in the face of danger, there was little they could say to

camphorate her. Claire's hand dropped from her mouth, landing limply on Charlie's leg as he

continue to support her. A few drops of red stained the palm as it lay twitching on his lap. He

coughed it out of the corner of his eye, quickly turning away to assist her. Her body shook with

every gag. The sounded rough and dry, as if the inside of her thought was being torn with each

cough.

"Get her back to the tent" Locke shouted to the through the rain. Shannon was cradle beside him,

bare legs pulled up to his chest as she shivered and gasped. Michael and Charlie lifted her off the

ground and carried her across the damp sand inside the tent. They laid her down on the blankets

and covered her with another. Her skin was freezing. Although it was raining, the heat wave still

pounded, leaving the rest of them in a chilling sweat. But she was passed chilled. She was ice cold

and shivering like crazy. Her face twisted with pain as she lied flat on her back. "Charlie" she

sobbed softly, tears rolling down her colorless cheeks. He held her hand in his, and brushed the

strands off her face with the other. He smiled at her, trying his best to stay calm for her sake. She

choked out a sob, her eyes shut tight. She squeezed his hand with all her strength, holding her

stomach wit the other. She began coughing as she gasped for breath. "What is wrong with her?"

Michael yelled over the sound of poring rain beating down on the tarp. "I don't know!" Charlie

yelled back, distressed. Claire's eyes closed. The coughing slowed and fadded. "I don't know" he

repeated, sobbing. Michael stared at him symthaeticly, not knowing what to say or do. "Dad!" the

cry rang from out side. Michael jumped at the sound. "Dad! Where are you!" Walt called, along

with many others who were shouting back and forth to each other. Michael hoped up and ran out

without a word. A state of panic swept the island. Even the sea and the sky were hysteric.

The storm fadded and the sun rose, still no sign of Jack or the others. Shannon's asthma attack

calmed down, and Claire remained motionless through out the night. Most sleep out side their

tents, to alert to get comphortable. But Charlie stayed awake trough out the night, keeping a

strong watch over her. Ben kept him awake, as well. He had woken up from all the screaming.

Charlie rocked him for hours, trying to keep him calm. _But how could you keep someone calm _

_when you are terrified yourself?_

"hows she doing?" Michael asked, moving beside Charlie on his place agenst the pain wreckage.

"Its hard to tell" He replied lifelessly. Michael nodded, crossing his arms. "How's he?" Charlie

questioned, giving and indicating nod to Walt, who say a few feet away, reading a comic book.

"Hes good. Atleast, as good as the rest of us" Michael replied, stareing back at Walt.. "You get

any sleep?" he added, turning to him once again. Charlie shook his head and Shifted Ben in his

arms. "You should get some rest man. I'll watch the kid" Michael suggested. "No, I wouldn't be

able to. Thanks any ways" he replied, looking down at his shoes. "I understand" Michael replied.

Ben squirmed In his arms, kicking his feet restlessly. Charlie kneeled down, letting Ben have a little

crawl. He made his clumsy way over to Walt with a huge grin. "Hi" Walt said, surprised to see a

chubby little baby at his side. Ben plopped back into a sitting positioned and giggled. Then

continued to pick up his foot with both hands, role onto his back and look around. "What's he

doing?" Walt asked, with a raised eye brow. "Chilling" Charlie shrugged, watching as he then

rolled back onto his stomach and pushed himself up in crawling position. He was off again.

"Wheres he going?" Walk questioned, still giving him a strange look. He bumbled across the sand

in Shannon's direction. She was sitting by her tent a couple yards away, legs pulled up to her chest.

"Man, he's fast" Michael noted, watching as he reached Her. She looked down and grinned,

brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She picked him up and plopped him in her lap, saying

something to him that the others could not here. Charlie began to walk over when he noticed

something moving inside their tent. He quickly changed his path. Claire was sitting on the ground

with a look of shock as she dug through Ben's crib. "Claire" Charlie uttered from the door way,

stareing in confusion. "Where is he?" she cried, turning to him suddenly. "Ben? He's with

Shannon" Charlie answered, eyeing her unitedly. "Is he alright?" she demanded, looking up at him

with fearful eyes. "Of corse, he's fine" Charlie confirmed, kneeling down beside her. She sniffed and buried her head in his shoulder. He pulled his arms around her, trying to comfort her. She whipped

her eyes with the back of her hand and looked up at him. "I think...I think some ones trying to hurt

Ben" she choked out. Charlie gave her a questioning look. "I know it sounds crazy. But I keep

having these dreams-" she tried to explain. "I don't know what exactly, but something bad is going

to happen." she spoke with grave certainty that sent a chill down his spine. Not only that she was

hysteric to the point of believing it, but without prophecy, he had felt the same thing.

Two nights passed. Claire fell in and out of her restless state of unconchusness. Now holding

herself captive inside the hallowed tent. A dark ring had formed around her eyes. Her skin began to

developed a yellow-green tent, at times almost grey, the color of a corps. When awake, she didn't

speak. She laid still as the dead and simply stared at nothing until her bruised eyes fell close. For

two whole days, she had said nothing. Charlie had tried to spark a sentence out of her when ever

she woke, but she just rolled her head to the side and fixed her eyes on some invisible illusion that

had her hypnotized. With Jack still missing along with all the rest who had ventured out into the

jungle, there was not telling what was wrong with her. Charlie leaned back agenst the plastic wall,

Ben sprawled across his lap. It was almost morning, and he had dozed off after watching Claire

sleep through most of the night. Before it was her smile, the sound of her voice that got him

through the day. But all that had fadded, and life on the island had become bleak and unbearable.

He was woken by the sound of a scream, disforest from the one three nights ago, but just as

terrified. He jumped at the sound, jerking himself awake. Moving Ben, who too had fallen asleep to

his bed, he rushed out to see what was happening. He saw Sun, hysteric, being pulled away from

the edge of the woods by Jin. The others slowly gathered around, stareing up at some unseen

object. She wailed with fear, falling to the ground as tears poured down her eyes. Slowly, Charlie moved closer to the rest of the group, curious at what had caused such a panic. As he drew closer,

it became clear to him. One of the survivors, who's name he did not know and who's face he barely

recognized, hand some how managed to throw a rope over a branch atleast fifteen feet of the

ground and hung himself over night. He stared in aw, along with the rest of the group until finally

they decided to try and find a way to get him down. After an hour or more of failed attempts, the

rope was cut and his body dropped to the floor. Because most of the skeptics had disappeared into

the woods, it was a general agreement that some sort of funeral should be healed. In Jacks honor,

the body was cremated. A shallow hole dug in the ground, where the body lied. Sticks and any

source of fire wood stacked over top of it and lit on fire. The smell alone kept every one a good ten

yards away. It became aware, after the group had gathered and no one seemed to have any

comments to say about the mysterious man that Charlie was not the only one who had neglected to

recognize him. Finly, Locke stepped up. "The apocalypse is in the eye of the beholder" he began,

with that confident, some what mysterious voice of wisdom. "Some say it lies in decease" he

continued, giving a slight Glance at Charlie, who stood uncomfortable in-between two complete

strangers. "Others in war. Some even believe we will all be destroyed by some strange phenomena.

Monsters, aliens, giant commits falling from the sky. Global warming, atomic booms, what have you.

Others believe that the end of the world is when man kind simply gives up. What ever the cause, the

world was made for a purpose, just as we are on this island for a purpose. Which is why we can't

give up. Not until we have found, this purpose. You can't argue with fate." With that he was silent,

and walked back to his tent. The crowd was silent for a moment, reflecting on his words. Slowly they

scattered, makeing there way back home.

Charlie dropped to the floor soon as he entered the tent. He felt exhausted. "What happened?" an

unfamiliar voice questioned. He looked up, surprised to see Claire awake. It had without a doubt been her who spoke, but her voice had changed entirely. Low, strained and raspy, with no expression of

emotion. Her eyes were just barley opened, and she lay flat on her back, facing the ceiling. He blinked

at the question, to distracted to recall what she had asked. "One of the people killed themselves" he

answered distantly after remembering. "Who was he?" she questioned, in that same haunting tone. "I

don't know" Charlie replied as if guilty. Her eyes fell back close. She shifted slightly, and for a

moment he assumed she was going back to sleep. "Charlie" she spoke up once again after a moment.

Her voice began to return. He looked up, waiting for her to continue. "What do you miss?"

Charlie blinked, not quite understanding. "About your home" she elaborated, turning to face him.

"Well," he began thoughtfully, "well, running water, in door pluming." Claire laughed slightly.

"Anything outside the bathroom?" he smiled and tried to think. "I don't really think I miss anything. I

mean, life back in LA was fine, sure. But I'd rather be stranded here with nothing then back there in a

mansion." He answered. "Why?" she asked, sitting up. "Because here I have you" he replied with full

honesty. "Aw, how sweet" Claire laughed with a hint of sarcasms, tilting her head to the side. "What

do you miss?" he questioned in return. "Hmm.." she began, biting her lip slightly as she thought. " I

miss...my friends" she answered with a small smile of accomplishment. "Especially Megan, my room

mate. Just to be able to talk to another female would be nice" she added, smiling. It was the first time

he'd sceen her face lite up in weeks. "What, the females on this island aren't good enough for you?" he

teased. "No" she replied as if it were obvious. He tried not to laugh. " their nice enough I guess, but

they're just not my type. I mean, Kate's opinionated and whinny, Shannon is a spoiled brat, Rose is

alright but I'm half her age and Sun doesn't even speak English" she continued, obtaining a humerus

disposition all the while. This was a side of Claire he had never sceen. She rarely spoke of the others,

and when she did it was always positive. " I think I'm becoming a bad influence" Charlie exclaimed,

still laughing. At that moment, Ben decided to join the part. He plopped up into a sitting position, poking his head out from the cradle. Eyes wide with interest, blond strands defying gravity, and a huge

grin revealing his lack of teeth. Claire noticed him first and couldn't help but laugh. "Hey!" Charlie

greeted once his eyes followed hers. He lifted him out of his crib and plopped him down on the floor

between them. He stared at Claire with his mouth stretched wide open in a triangular grin. "Hi" she

said enthusiastically, smiling back at him. "Hi" he muttered in a small, mocking voice. The two looked

up with the surprise and exchanged glances. "Did he just say hi?" Claire asked, in shock. "I think so"

Charlie replied, smiling like an idiot, "do it again." Claire lifted him onto her lap and repeated the

word. "Hi" Ben replied in the same tone as before. The two laughed. Charlie laid on his stomach so,

supporting himself on his elbo so that him and Ben were about the same level. "Hi" he tried, with a

smile. Ben repeated him with a giggle, clinging on to his face with an open palm. He began chanting

the word, bouncing excitedly. "can he say anything else?" Charlie questioned, looking up at Claire. "I

don't know," she shrugged, "Can you say anything else?" Ben stopped for a moment, eyes sparkling,

then began singing the hi song once again. "I guess not" Charlie joked, watching him with amusement.

"Here, lets try," he suggested, "can you say...Claire?"

"No, I'm mum" Claire insisted, before Ben could respond. "Alright, say mum" Charlie instructed

agreeably. "Mum" Ben copied, switching position so his back was rested against Claire's torso, facing

Charlie. Claire beamed, slightly embarrassed, once again returning to her beautiful self. "So what dose

that make me?" Charlie asked, looking up at her. "I guess that makes you dad" she replied. Rather

biological or not, the title fit. Charlie grinned stupidly. "Can you say dad?" he questioned hopeful,

catching Bens attention. Ben blinked at him for a moment, then exclaimed "hi".

"Close enough" Charlie shrugged with a laugh. They sat there for a while trying out various words that

might be appealing. Oblivious to every one else until they over heard the commotion witch had sprung

up outside. They both looked up to the sound of hurried foot steps moving quickly past their tent. Charlie helped her up, and with Ben in her arms, the three headed out side to investigate. At the edge of

the woods, to no surprise, was the direction they crowd was moving. Jack was the first to bee sceen. A

small ounce of hope flickered in Claire's eyes as they watched Kate, Sayid, Boone and sowyer emerged

behind him. The four seemed to be carrying something. As they moved closer they relived it was a

women, entirely unfamiliar to all of them. She was unconscious, laid out on a make-shaft stretcher,

blood every where. Her close were torn, skin a pale grayish color. They lowered her to the ground at the

very edge of the woods. Shannon latched onto Boone as soon as he stepped away, nearly knocking him

to the ground. Whispers spread across the crowd, curious of this strange women. "What's going on?"

some one called from the depths of the mob, who had nearly swarmed them. "All right, every one calm

down" Jack instructed, taking charge as usual. "This is Danielle, she is the only survivor of a previous

crash on this island, witch happened sixteen years ago" he explained, some what out of breath. His voice

echoed across the island. Claire looked at Charlie, confused. "We found her like this in the woods, about

eight miles from here. She told us something had attack her, and dragged her all the way there for miles.

What ever it was herd ran off, and left her there for dead. She went unconscious after that and remained

that way for the last couple days" he continued, his fatigue showing more and more as he went on.

Voices rose up and scattered amongst them. Sounds of worry and confusion. "Theres more" Jack

interrupted wearily. The group fell silent. "She told us

about what happened to the people she was with. She said they all got sick, they went insane. She told

us that she's been living on the other side of the island for sixteen years alone. They're all dead now" he

spoke as if he had known them, and it was the first time they had even sceen him truly show emotion. A

wave of shock flooded over them. "Just before she passed out, she told us something else. _She said _

_something bad is coming"_


	14. Prophecy

**Disclaimer: **I do not own lost, and as for the story, it's a bit short this week but you can expect more the next update.

**A A Battery: **I know, shes creepy. Don't worrier, she won't be around for long.

FATE

Prophecy

_Claire walks down a slightly crowded hall, people pass her as she makes her way towards the _

_front desk. She carries a plain ticket in one hand, the other rested over her rounded stomach. She _

_pleasantly hands the women her ticket. The women takes it, says something to the microphone, _

_witch no one seems to notice, and the givers her back another small rectangular piece of paper _

_with a fake smile. She turns and bumps directly into some one. We see it is Charlie. He smiles, _

_embarrassed. "sorry" he apologizes, brushing a hand though his mess of hair. She nods _

_appreciatively and heads to get her bags checked. Cut to the plain, we see Claire sitting by the _

_window, righting in her little black book, the orange tassel dangling from the top. The seat _

_beside her is empty. The plain starts to shake from the turbulence. She looks up, nervously, then _

_calms down momentarily. She glances out the window for a moment before the shaking starts up _

_again. She holds onto the arm rest half confused, half afraid. Images of the island flash before _

_her eyes. The burning plain pieces scattered across the island. Her lying helpless on the sand as _

_her contractions star just before Jack comes to rescue. The first time the creature appeared to _

_them. Trees snapping and breaking. Ben's birth. Charlie, lie half unconscious on the ground in _

_the woods with a nose bleed due to his withdraws. The man who had killed himself still dangling _

_from the tree. Flashes of unfirmilier faces witch seem to be from the crash before theres. _

_Diseases and distorted, begging for help. _

Suddenly, she wakes up, breathing heavily. She sits up in the bed, blankets clinging lossy around

her legs. The candle light flickering across the walls of the tent. Charlie sits up beside her, pacing

his arm around her with a look of concern as she tries to pull herself together. Her skin pale,

almost translucent. Tears roll down her cheeks as she chokes on her own breath. Her eyes grow

wide with panic as she looks down at her trembling hands. Every vain visible on her arms and

hands can bee sceen clearly as if some one drew them on with lavender and blue pastels. "Stay

here" Charlie suggests as he scatters to the door in a panic. She can here him call for Jack in a

dream like state as she continues to search her body. The marks continue along her caller bone

and neck, down each arm, across her stomach. Charlie returns with Jack right behind him. The

two kneel down infront of her. "Shh, calm down" Jack instructed in a whisper as held her hands

away by the wrist. "Just hold still" he adds in a tranquil voice, now noticing the paths of bruised

lines running up and down her skin. "I don't know" she sobbed, shaking her head. Her voice

quivered when she spoke. Her eyes looked heavy and red. A dark circle shaded around them. He

examined her hands, witch were being firmly gripped by his hands, almost to tight. He let go, and

for a moment he showed panic as well. "Here, just try to calm down. Just try to breath" he

instructed, brushing back her hair. He left one hand by her neck, witch felt around for a moment,

searching for a pulse. She obeyed, makeing slow, heavy breaths. Her chest rising and falling with

every beat. "Get her some water" Jack muttered to Charlie as he continued to examine her.

Charlie nodded fidgety and began digging through the mess for a bottle of water. Jack turned her

face to one side, examining her eyes. He touched her fore head with the back of his hand. Her skin

looked drenched, her hair flung about in pale curls. She looked as if she had just stepped out of

the showers. Charlie retrieved the water and handed it to him. Jack opened the top for her and

handed it over. She held it with both hands, taking one slow gulp. She gasped slightly when her

lips broke away from the bottle and began to cough. Charlie placed his hand on her back, keeping

her in a sitting position. "shh. Calm down. Just breath" Jack was saying, as he held her face in the

palm of his hands, keeping direct eye contact. Slowly, the air returned to her. Her breathing

regulated in fazes. inhale, exhale, in hale, exhale, until it was normal. "Alright, good. Your doing

great" Jack reassured, once again moving the hair off her face. "Just lay back, try to relax" he

suggested. She fallowed his instruction, leaning back agenst the pillow. She sniffed, and for a

moment closed her eyes. Jack sighed for a moment, trying to think. "Alright, Charlie, go wake

sayid and Kate," he instructed, then turned to Claire, " were gonna see if we can find you some

medicine."

Charlie ran back out clumsily. "What happened" Jack questioned, after Charlie disappeared. She

looked up at him confused. "I had," she began, trying hard to think, "another dream." she

answered, as if she weren't exactly sure. "What was it about?" he questioned in a stale, medical

voice. She thought for a moment. "The crash." she replied uncertainly. Jack nodded. "Alright. Is

there anything else?" he questioned concernedly. Claire opened her mouth to speak, but said

nothing. "I want to know what symptoms your experiencing, it might help me figure out exactly

what's wrong with you" he explained. "Coughing, head aches, heat flashes, stomach pains,

exhaustion, dizziness" she began listing, "but they all come and go. Sometimes I'm just fine." He

nodded again. "And this is all triggered by, the dreams correct?" he questioned. "Yes, most of

time" she answered, nodding with him.

"Any hallucinations?"

"No, well..no"

"What dose that mean?"

"I wouldn't really call it a hallucination . But I keep getting this feeling, a sense really, like

something there, like some ones watching me." Jack continued nodding, his eye narrowed slightly

as he organized the facts in his head. "And list night, I think I herd something. Someone talking"

she added, speaking as if she didn't even believe herself. "Am I going crazy?" she questioned,

assuming that because he was a doctor, he didn't believe in anything out of the natural. "No, not

crazy. Just sick" he replied, giving little camphorate. "But don't worry, I'm going to figure it out"

he added quickly, giving her a reassuring smile,"Now tell me more about these dreams." Claire's

eyes wondered. "What do you want to know?" she asked. Normally she would have been able to

go into heavy detail about her dreams. Her and Megan would often described their dreams to each

other hoping the other could figure out its meaning. But Jack was clearly a man of science, who

didn't believe in dreams having meanings. "Describe it to me. as much as you can remember" He

elabertated, shifting so that he was sitting in an Indian-style position. She open her mouth to speak,

but before she could talk her attention wavered the shadow being cast on the side of the tent. It

appeared that some one was standing at the door. Jack's eye brows dropped when he caught her

expression. Slowly, he fallowed her gaze to the wall. He had barley caught a glimpse of the

shadow before it began to disappear. Quickly, he leaned half way out the little door flap,

investigating. "What was that?" Claire asked, confused as Jack pulled himself back inside.

"Someone was listening" he confirmed with a similar look of dismay. "Why would someone be

listening?" she questioned, coughing slightly. "I don't know" he replied, giving a paranoid look

over his shoulder. "But I'm gonna go find out" he added, moving to his feet. "Wait, Jack!" Claire

exclaimed, not wanting to be left alone. It was to late, he had already flown out the door.

"Kate, get up" Charlie demanded, giving her a clumsy nudge on the arm. "What's going on?" she

question, half asleep. "Claire's gotten worse, Jack told me to get you and Sayid" He explained

hurriedly, half out of breath. Panic was both mentally and physically driving him insane. "For

what?" she asked as she began to sit up. "I have no idea. Just, come on" he instructed. He was

back out the door before she had even gotten down from her hammock, witch she used as a bed in

her tent. She fallowed him over to Sayid's tent, only to find him missing. "I don't get it, where is

he?" Charlie exclaimed angrily. "Calm down, he can't be far" Kate suggested, fallowing him again

as he turned back out of the tent. They found Sayid along with Jack in the medical tent witch

Charlie and Claire had once affectionately dubbed the hospital. "What's going on?" Kate

questioned as they entered the tent. "Danielle's missing" Jack explained, looking at the table-bed

where she had once laid. "This is not good" Sayid added, shaking his head. "Why? Where is she?"

Charlie asked in confusion, unsure why the women could not be trusted. "She is, unstable. She

killed those who were on the crash with her because she thought they were sick" Sayid explained.

It took a moment for his words to settle in. Charlie's eye grew wide as it hit him. _Claire._ The

others watched with confusion as he ran back outside.

Claire flinched as the pains in her stomach kicked in. She held her stomach and kept a tight grip on

the edge of the broken airline seat beside her. Too absorbed in the pain to realize that someone

was sitting directly behind her. "Claire" the horse voice whispered. Claire jumped at the sound and

looked over. She recognized the rugged woman from the stretched she had witnessed earlier. "Oh"

she mumbled, trying to discuss her fear, witch still remained after the initial scare had fadded.

"Were you the one who was listening?" Claire questioned, giving a slight gesture to the wall of the

tent where the shadow had been. Danielle nodded. "Why?" Claire questioned in dismay. "When

you've been stuck alone on an island for sixteen years, you liston to just about everything" Danielle

explained distantly. Claire looked down, slightly embarrassed at her question. She couldn't help

but feel sorry for the poor women. Being alone all this time. "I herd you are sick" she noted,

looking up at her. Claire nodded, unfortunately. "One of the survivors got sick a long time ago.

She had lost a lot of blood on impact, so her immune system was weak. She started going insane"

Danielle explained, looking around the room as she spoke. "Then one by one, the others caught it,

she continued, her voice raspy, showing light anger, "It'll happen again." At those words her eyes

meet Claire's like daggers. "I don't understand" Claire replied softly, the subject was makeing her

very nervous. "The desase will spread! From you to the others!" she exclaimed, "unless you end

it." Claire maintained a miserable look of confusion. Her head was spinning. Her eyes swept the

floor of the tent, and caught a small piece of shining meddle witch rested between Danielle's hand

and thigh, winking in the candlelight. It could only be one thing. "What are you saying?" Claire

asked, outraged. Panic waved over her. "You see? You have it. Your already going crazy"

Danielle amused harshly, moving towards her. "No" Claire exclaimed, feeling a brush of heat

sweep over her as she backed directly into the chair. "You have to end it!" Danielle shouted

forcefully, stareing her dead in the eye. The tiny kine gripped tightly in her hand. Claire shut her

eyes tight, overwhelmed by the situation. "Danielle" A voice spoke from the door way. Both

looked over. Charlie stood just inside the tent. "No" Danielle muttered, and made an attempt to

put her weapon to work. Before she could even fully raise her arm Charlie grabbed her, holding

her arms around hers so that she couldn't move. She struggle wildly, still keeping a tight hold on

knife. Twisting one arm free, she made a clean stab into his abdomen, a popular place for his scars.

Jack, Kate, and Sayid rushed in at that vary moment, catching Danielle just as she tried to run out.

Charlie hit the ground painfully, a small circle of blood forming on the fabric of his shirt. Claire

crawled to his side, holding his hand away from the wound. "Get her out of here" Jack snapped,

indicating to Danielle as he kneeled down across from Claire. Kate helped Sayid drag her out. "I'm

all right" Charlie uttered breathlessly. "Good, just keep calm." Jack instructed while he searched

the room for some sort of bandage. Claire brushed the hair off his face with one hand, holding his

with the other, just above the wound. "You realize that's the third time I've ben stabbed there"

Charlie said sarchasticly, maintaining a shaky smile. Claire laughed slightly, tapping her hand

agenst his. "Sit up" Jack instructed, moving back to them. The too helped Charlie into the chair.

He lifted the right side of his shirt over his shoulder, revealing the two almost identical scars just

above the new one. His stomach flinched as jack dabbed the small piece of cloth soaked in iodine,

witch had oddly enough been found in one of the bags, on his wound. Claire sat on the arm of the

seat to his left, holding his other arm across her lap, witched served two purposes. One, for

comfort, the other so that he dosent take an involuntary swing at Jack as soon as he used the

iodine. He took deep breaths as Jack continued to dab the cloth agenst his skin, gently as possible.

"Well, the other two are healing nicely" Jack noted optimistically, tilting his head to the side.

"Or, atleast, the _were_" he corrected, squinting at the jagged pattern where the new wound had

intercepted with the other scars. "Lovely" Charlie muttered sarcastically, flashing a short smile.

Jack set the cloth, witch was now red, on a little silver pan to later be thrown away. Even on the

island, sanitary was necessary. He picked up the bandage, witch in reality was the shreds of a white

cotton shirt, and began wrapping them around his waist. Charlie glanced over at Claire

uncomfortably. She smiled, in an attempt to cheer him up. He returned the favor with a weak half-

smile as he squeezed her hand slightly. Jack clipped the bandage tight with a paper clip and stood

to his feet. "There you go" he sighed, examinening the job well done. "Thanks" Charlie muttered,

unenthusiastically. Jack smiled despite his bitter attitude, gave a little nod toward Claire then

headed outside to investigate on Danielle's situation.

"How dose it feel?" Claire asked, once Jack had gone. "Feels like I got stabbed" he replied

sarcastically. "Well fortunately, I've never been stabbed" Claire replied playfully. "Lucky you" he

replied, maintaining the sarcasm. She gave a little laugh, allowing her gaze to wonder. He sighed,

tapping his hand, witch was still wrapped in hers, agenst her leg unconsciously. "How bad is it?"

She asked, breaking the silence. "Not bad," he lied, mainstring his masculinity, "dosent hurt at all."

Claire laughed with disbelief. "Really?" she questioned skeptically, tilting her head to the side.

"Really," he confirmed, "you don't believe me?" Claire shook her head no. Maintain eye contact the

entire time, he pulled her leg onto his lap in one quick motion. He continue to take her hand and

place it directly on the wound. "See? I don't feel a thing" he confirmed triumphantly, lieing through

his teeth. "Congratulations" Claire smiled sarchasticly at his attempt. "Jealous" he accused

playfully. "Of what?" she questioned skeptically, rasing an eye brow at him. "My extreme tolerance

for pain" he answered proudly. "Ha" she replied mimicking, giving him a weak nudge in the

stomach with her elbo. He winched and grabbed his stomach quickly, trying to hide the pain. "You

alright?" She teased triumphantly, once again tilting her head. "_Fine_" he groaned, clearly in pain.

Claire tried her best not to giggle, but didn't succeeded. He returned the favor by playfully shoving

her of his lap. She hit the ground laughing. "Help me up" she more instructed than asked.

Reluctantly, he took her hand without though. She pulled him to the ground with her so that he was

half on top of her. He pressed his forehead agenst hers and gave a quick kiss. "I've got to get up"

Claire muttered, once their lips parted. "Why?" he questioned disappointedly. "Because you smell

awful" she teased, and gently pushed him off her. He couldn't help but laugh as he fell back agenst

the foot of the chair. "Do I really?" he then asked, suddenly feeling self conscious. She nodded,

biting her lip. He smiled again. He wasn't really surprised. He'd been so wrapped up in worrier

about her he hadn't even gone to wash up in over a week, then again neither had she. "Don't feel

bad, I'm sure I'm not doing much better" she assured, taking the color of her shirt and holding it to

her nose to check. "I wasn't going to say anything about it, but now that you mention it" he teased,

glancing over at her from his place on the floor by the chair. "What's say head out to fresh water

first thing tomorrow morning?" Claire suggested. "I would _love_ to" he agreed suggestively. Claire

smiled, rolling her eyes slightly. Charlie grabbed her by the they hand and pulled her down to his

side so that her legs stretched across his lap. "Deal?" she questioned, folding her hands over her lap.

"Deal" he replied, placing a kiss on her forehead. They sat in each others arms in the small space

between air line chair and table. It wasn't long before both drifted off to sleep. And it was the first

in atleast a week, where Claire's nightmares did not visit her. Perhaps she was healed.


	15. Never Trust A Stranger

Disclaimer: I don't own lost. This chapter involves a lot of events that occurred in the last episode "Raised By A Nother." My computer has been having some issues, so its taking me a while to actually update. Hopefully we'll get it fixed soon but until then sorry for the wait. That's all for now kids, enjoy the show!....story...thing.

**A A Battery:** very amusing reply. Please don't sick the scary french lady on me!

FATE

Never Trust A Stranger

Directly as promised, Claire nudged Charlie awake less than an hour after the sun came up, fully

dressed and ready to go. She left Ben in Shannon's care, who would most likely spend the entire

day trying to convince him to say her name. It had been bright as hell when they left the beach,

and equally hot. The temperature seemed to doble inside the jungle, though the thick veil of trees

over head obscured most of the light. Pale, dusty beams would shoot through any opening they

found in the bed of tangled leaves and branches with towered over them. But in-between these

swirling pillars of light was utter darkness. The leaves dripped sweat as the bobbed lightly, despite

the lack of breeze. They air remained thick and heavy through out the afternoon as the two made

their way through the forest. They had been walking for almost an hour, and still no sign of the fall,

witch had ben used as the dominating water source. It was well known that the fall was located

pretty far back in the jungle, but the idea was now slightly possible that they were heading in the

wrong direction. "You think we might have made a wrong turn?" Claire questioned after a

moment, talking ahead at Charlie, who was a foot or two ahead of her. "That's impossible" he

replied, grabbing every skinny tree trunk he passed. "Why?" she questioned, brushing a clump of

soaked matted strands back over her shoulder. "Because we haven't made any turns yet" he

replied, turning to face her, his hand still firmly wrapped around a measly, anorexic-looking trunk.

She pulled trough the trees, as he had been doing the entire run, to catch up with him. "Good pint"

she greed, stopping infront of him. "It dose seem like we've been walking for a while though" he

noted, squinting up at the black spotted sky above them. "Maybe we should take a break."

Claire nodded, and slowly began to pull of her back pack. She let the entire load drop to the

ground, seeing that it only carried some food, a bottle of water, soap and an extra pare of cloths,

just in case. She was currently clothed in a pair of lose denim geans witch were torn at the knees

and a lightly floraled tank from her maternity days. It still looked like a normal top, only instead of

stopping short at the waste, it exceeded past her hips so that without pants, it would still cover all

the necessities. The light cotton kept thing pretty comphortable in the heat, though she now

regretted not bringing shorts. She plopped to the ground and pulled the tangled mess of hair over

her shoulder. Charlie leaned back agenst a rather thick, exotic oak and open up his bag. He

retrieved his water bottle and gulped it down. "This is horrible" Charlie noted, as he re capped the

bottle. "What is?" she asked giving half attention while still concentrating on wringing as much

moisture out of the rope of hair dangling from her shoulder. "The weather! Bleeding brutal" he

explained. "no kidding" Claire agreed, running her palms down the length of her pants to remove

the access moisture with a minor look of disgust. "This is almost pointless. As soon as we get

washed up and make our journey _back_ to the beach, we'll be worst off then we were when we

started" Charlie hypothesized, the bottle slushing with ever small gesture of his hand. His hair clung

to his forehead, small drops of sweat gathered around his chin. He whipped it off grungily with the

palm of his hand and began digging at the back of his neck. Claire made her way beside him and

took the hand down to her lap. "Its worth it" she informed, moving her fingers agenst the skin of his

palm. He laid his head agenst the tree and smiled, then took his hand back. He continued to stretch

his arm across her shoulders and pull her closer to him. Her head rest agenst his caller bone, strands

of drenched hair flung wildly across her shoulder. The strands slowed over his arm and dangled

agenst her back. He had never noticed how long her hair was until down, when the moisture had

pulled it down to its full weight. She shifted a few times, until she was securely nestled in the curve

of his body. He placed a kiss on her forehead then laid hid head back agenst the bark of the tree.

With the heat pounding down on them and the amount of light supplied by the illuminous vortexes

sparkling about them contributing verily little to their heavily shaded circle beneath the tree made it

difficult to maintain consciousness. It wasn't before long that the two of them both gave in to

exhaustion and fell into a deep slumber in each others arms. The sun shifted from its peak in the sky,

changing the angles of the beams so that they came in at a much fainter, blue, diagonal slant,

makeing it even darker than it had been before. The trees thick cast new shadows witch darted

across the forest bed. With afternoon came a breeze, witch brushed through the forest straight from

the island. Charlie awoke to the feel of the breeze tingling across the skin of his bare arm. He

jumped slightly, startled into reality, and for a moment he forgot where he was. He glanced around

himself at the dark leaves weighing down their branches. His eyes traveled down to Claire who lied,

still fast asleep agenst his chest. He remembered, and gave a gentle sigh of relief. He shifted himself

back to his original position with as little movement as possible, so as not to wake her. But try as he

might, his situation lack the camphorate it had held earlier. Claire must have subconsciously

detected this change, fore she began to shift around herself. Being shocked awake by the sudden

chill as he had been, her hand, witch lay open agenst the middle of his chest now took a firm grip at

his shirt. Her head lifted in the same instant, eyes half open and darting about the trees. "Claire" he

spoke, some what hoarsely, as to jot her memory. Her eyes met him in a state of suppress, witch

fadded quickly as she remembered where she was. She sighed, as he had, and rolled onto her back

so that they lay side by side, her neck still cradled in the curve of his arm. "How long have we been

asleep?" she asked, her voice still groggy as well. "I'm not sure. Must of been a couple hours" he

replied, pushing himself off the tree. "Its gotten dark" she noted as he helped her off the ground.

Charlie rubbed his eyes for a moment, then leaned down to pick up his book bag, witch had

remained as a partner opposite of Claire the entire time. He lifted it off the ground and flung it onto

his back. "Wheres my bag?" Claire questioned, looking down at the empty spot of dirt where she

had left it. "What?" he questioned sleepily, turning to her as he adjusted the straps on his. "The

back pack, the one I was carrying. Its gone" she explained, tracing the circle of clean dirt witch they

had been resting in for the past hours undisturbed. He copied her, giving a general look over of all

in view. She was most certainly right, the bag was no where to be found. "That's weird" she noted,

coming to a stop in the middle of the circle, palm rested at the back of her neck. "Some animal

probably ran off with it. Who knows" he shrugged, spotting his bottle of water on the ground and

picking it up. "Your probably right" she agreed, letting her hand drop to her side. "Come on, lets

go" he suggested, heading towards the direction they had been fallowing. "Wait, don't you think we

should head back?" she asked, glancing back the way they came. "Do you want to?" was his reply,

as he turned to face her. "Well, do you think we can make it to the fall and back to the beach before

sundown?" she answered with another question. "I think so. I mean I can't be sure because well, I

don't know what time it is but I think we can" he explained optamisticly. "Alright" she agreed

skeptically, meeting him at his side. "Well then, lets go" she suggested playfully, wrapping his hand

around hers. He lead the way, moving his free hand from tree to trees, the other nearly dragging

Claire behind him. It wasn't so much that she was slower than him as it was impossible for both of

them to fit through the path side by side. He stopped in his tracks suddenly, causing Claire to run

into him before realizing he hand stopped. "What is it?" she asked, observing as he lowered himself

to the ground in the middle of the path. He tugged up the hem of his pants and inspected his foot.

"Oh my goodness," Claire exclaimed, " you've been walking the entire time flip flops?" this was

outrageous. "Yep" he confirmed casually, picking at the tiny splinter wedged in the ball of his foot.

"What is wrong with you?" she muttered, shaking her head with wonder. "Hmm, let me get my

list" he replied sarchasticly, glancing at her over his shoulder. With the splinter cleanly removed, he pulled the sandles back on and pulled himself to his feet. They continued walking for what seemed

like an eternity. The day grew cooler, and darker, until no light was left except a faint white haze

way over head. With their eyes full adjusted, the apparent amount of light was tolerable. But never

the less the subtraction of light was clearly noticeable. "Charlie, its getting really dark. I think we

should turn back" Claire called ahead of her, her voice a bit shaky. "I think your right" he agreed.

He had ben walking exceptionally fast, and for a while he had zoned out, unaware of his

surroundings. But it was now clear to him to that their would not be enough sun left to withstand

the journey back. Even worse, it looked as if it were going to rain. "It must be later than I thought"

he noted, "I don't think we can make it back before sun down." Claire frowned slightly. "You

should have thought of that sooner" she replied. Although she did not show it on her expression,

Charlie could sense her fear. "Maybe we should just stay here for tonight" he suggested. It was no

lie that he wanted to get back to the beach as much as she did, but navigating their way through the

woods in pitch black would be impossible. Claire nodded unenthusiastically. Charlie removed his

book bag and lowered himself to one of the rocks. They had come upon a rather good resting spot.

A short wall of rocks molded into the earth witch raised up on the left and gradually descended to a

knee high boundary of rocks witch curved on the left. tall, thick trees outlined the ring, almost

forming a wall. Charlie lowered himself onto one of the rocks and began unloading his bag. Claire

climbed into a small flat spot where a slice had been made in one of the neighboring rocks. "Sorry

about dragging you all the way out here" Charlie apologized, still pulling objects from the bag.

"Well it was my idea" Claire defended for him, leaning her head back agenst the rock behind her.

"Yeah, but still. We should have gone back when we first stopped" he protested. "Nah. Its not that

bad." she assured, sitting up once again, "I'm just worried about leaving Ben with Shannon all

night." Charlie laughed a little. "I'm sure she can manage" he replied, finally emptying the bag. A towel, bar of soap, a flash light, some bandages, small jar filed about a quarter of the way with

iodine, box of matches, a zippo lighter and three bottles of water now scattered across the rock

beside him. Claire leaned forward, examining the items. "Atleast we know we can start a

fire" she noted. "Unless it rains" he contradicted, looking up at what was left of the sky. Between

the leaves was nothing but a grey haze. "Well then, atleast we have a flash light" she shrugged,

optamisticly. He nodded. "Well, if were gonna try for a fire, we better start now." he pushed himself

off the rock and headed towards the trees, where sticks and leaves were woven across the dirt.

Claire turned so that her feet rested on the rock where Charlie had just moved from, her hands

crossed at the wrist over her knees. He was kneeling down with his back to her, pulling up any

twigs or branches he could find. "You gonna help?" he questioned playfully, looking back at her

over his shoulder. "No, I think this is a mans job" she replied jokenly, leaning back on her elbows.

He smiled, and continued looking. It wasn't long before a sturdy pile had been made and the twigs

were lit. Charlie stood to his feet and turned to her triumphantly. "Congratulations"Claire exclaimed

sarcastically, glancing up from her little black note book, witch she had been wrighting in. He sat

keeled back down on the rock and crossed his arms over her knees. "What's this?" he questioned,

reaching for the book. "Nothing" she replied quickly, holding pulling it away. "Where'd you find it?"

he continued to question. "It was in my pocket" she answered, folding it shut. He reached for it

again. She held raised her arm out so that the book was far out of his reach. "Please" he plead, still

leaning over her. Claire thought for a moment, sarcastically. "Hmm, no." was her answer. "Fine"

Charlie frowned. He leaned down to give her a kiss witch as only meant to last for a quick second,

but continued much longer then that. Claire, completely disregarding her previous attempts to

protect her writhing's secrecy, dropped the book the ground and pulled her arms around his neck. If

he were paying attention, he could easily have won the little battle, but this seemed much more compelling. The kiss lasted until a brush of thunder sounded. The rain began pouring down and the

fire went out instantly. The forest went pitch black. The two sat up, startled by the sudden black out.

"Flashlight" Charlie muttered breathlessly, and began feeling around the surface of the rock until he

located the object. He twisted the top, turning it on. A small circle of light burst out, feeling their

general area with a faint amount of light. He moved up onto the higher rock next to Claire, sitting

close to keep each other warm. He pulled the beach towel witch had been kept in his bag around the

both of them, keeping his arm tightly around her shoulder. Claire, embarrassed, sat stiffly, looking in

the opposite direction of him. Not wanting her to feel uncomfortable, he lowered his arm around her

waist and took her hand in his. She glanced over at him and smiled, then looked away again. Her

cheeks went pink. Charlie lifted his other hand, witch hand been holding the flash light, to her chin,

turning her face to him. They kissed again, letting the flash light role about on the rock, causing its

circle of light to twirl back and forth across the trees. The rain pounded down on them. Both

oblivious to the icy beds hitting their skin. Suddenly, a twig snapped some where in the darkness.

Fallowed by a rustling sound in a faint pounding, like feet agenst the mud. Both jumped, startled once

again and looked over. Charlie quickly found the flash light and searched the perimeter. Nothing but

trees and leaves. "What was that?" Claire questioned, her voice quivered. "I don't know. Maybe it was

just the trees" he replied uncertainly. Another rustle in the distance. "I think theres someone out there"

Claire disagreed, looking almost terrified. "Why would some one be running from us?" He questioned,

not expecting an answer. " I think we should go" She suggested, hoping down from the rock. "Go

where?" he asked, rasing an eye brow as he hoped down beside her. "I don't know. I just, I can't stay

here" she was rambling distressfully. "Claire, its pitch black. Were not gonna get any where" he

explained sympathetically. "So what are we suppose to do? Just stay here in the dark and wait for them

to come back?" She was growing louder by the minute. He had never sceen her this frantic, normally he was the one to panic. "Claire, calm down. It was probably just the wind or a twig breaking or

something" he tried to assure. "Trees don't run Charlie" she protested. Charlie opened his mouth to

speak, but no words came out. His eyes were fixed on the ground behind her. Claire gave him a

confused glance, then turned around, trying to fallow his gaze to whatever had him so fixated. There in

the mud only inches away from her lay a thick foot print, imbedded in the mud. Another lie just above it

before the marks disappeared beneath a the carpet of broken sticks and leaves. Her hands trembled at

her side. After a moment, when the initial shock faded, she turned towards the path they had came in on.

"Claire, where are you going?" he sighed, trying to hide his frustration. "I don't know" she replied,

determined, without looking back. She walked fast, makeing it difficult for him to fallow her. "Claire,

stop. You don't know where your going" he tried to convince, pulling his arm from three to tree as he

fallowed her. "I'm not staying here" she confirmed, but before she could finish her sentence, a loud snap

sounded behind them. Both turned, and Charlie aimed his flash light in the direction of the sound as the

culprit made an attempt to run, but they saw nothing. Claire turned back. Charlie opened his mouth to

speak again but before he could make another try in convincing her to stay, she began walking: And

walked right into a trap. In a split second the ground softened ground before her gave in and she

disappeared beneath a black pit. Charlie rushed to her, dropping to his knees at the edge. "Claire!" he

called out, looking into the mass whole in the ground. "Claire!" he tried again, louder than before. No

answer. Shaking, he searched for the flash light witch he had dropped in panic while rushing to edge. He

found it rolled up agenst a tree root, retrieved it and shown it down into the ditch. It must have been

deeper than he thought because the light showed nothing but walls of thick soil and mud leading down

into more blackness. He called her name a third time, and herd nothing but the pouring rain and the

sound of his own shattered breathing. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet. She was clearly knocked

unconchus on her way down, and even if he could make it down to her, there would be no way of getting out. His only choice was to run for help.

Claire's eye slowly blinked open, although it was hard to tell rather or not they were still closed. She

could see nothing but blackness around her. Her head throbbed and her body felt soar. She moved her

arms and legs to make sure every thing was still working properly. Nothing seemed broken. Her lower

body felt numb and she soon became aware that she was waist deep in water. "Charlie?" she spoke, her

voice raw and shaky. No response. She tried again, as loud as she could. Nothing. Her body began to

shiver. Her skin tingled from the rain and mud covering her skin. She felt agenst the wall of dirt behind

her and tried to pull her self up, but the dirt only shifted beneath her arm, sliding her right back down into

the icy, muddy water. She wrapped tucked her arms beneath her shirt and wrapped them around her waist

in an attempt to stay warm. She concentrated on her breathing to keep her mind of panicking, but the

thoughts managed to seep in. _Where is Charlie? What if something happened to him? How am I going to _

_get out of hear?_ Her head continued the throb on the left, but everything around it went numb. She

became aware of the warm liquid trickling slowly down that side of her face: blood. _I hit my head on the _

_way down and knocked unchoncues. Charlie went for help. He'll be back soon. I'll be fine. _She assured

her self as she rocked back and forth, knees to her chest. Moving as much as possible to stay warm.

She remained conscious until morning. The rain slowed to a faint drizzle and the sun came out. Though

the light did not yet reach inside the ditch, she could see every thing outside the opening above her. Her

body was almost completely numb. Her cloths and hair clung to her skin. It was morning, and Charlie had

not come back for her yet. She sat in silence for almost an hour before the sound of foot steps could be

herd. She sat up, alert and listened to the gentle thump, thump, thump, moving closer and closer.

"Charlie?" she called, excitedly, squinting up at the opening. For a moment it was silent. "Hello?" a voice,

witch did not belong to Charlie, called back. Moments later, an unfirmilier man leaned over the edge. Although it was hard to tell, the expression on his face showed that he could not see her. "Claire? Are you

all right?" the man called. Who ever he was, he knew her name. "Yes" she called back, a bit delayed.

"Alright", he nodded, "hang on. I'm gonna get you out of there." for a moment, he disappeared. She could

here him moving around over head. "Where's Charlie?" she questioned, calling up to him. "He's out

looking for you with a couple of the others. We split up to cover more ground" the voice called back

distantly. The man returned. "Can you move?" he called back, begging to lower down a rope. "Yeah" she

replied, squinting up at him. "Ok. Good. Grab on." Claire gripped the felt the wall for the rope. After a

moment, she located it and griped it tightly with both hands. Digging her feet into the mud, she began

pulling herself up. After a moment she could see the rope and her hands infront of her. Once she got close

enough to the surface, the man helped pull her up. She sat on the ground for a moment, trying to catch her

breath. "Your bleeding" the man noted, eyeing the patch of blood smeared with dirt on her forehead. "I

know. I hit my head when I fell" she replied breathlessly, looking down at the ground. She was sitting on

one side of her hip, supporting herself with both arms. "Here" the man offered, and began gently dabbing a

piece of cloth agenst her forehead. She flinch slightly, although it didn't really hurt. "Are you sure your

alright? Nothings sprained or broken?" the man questioned. "No, every thing else is fine" she answered

without looking up at him. "Good" he smiled faintly and helped her up. Her legs felt shaky and for a

moment she actually had to hold on to him. Soon she gained balance and let go. He handed her the piece

of cloth to try and clean herself off as much as possible. She began whipping away at the mud on her arms

as the man walked over to a book bag lieing on the ground ad keeled down before it. She stared at cloth

agenst her arm for a moment before it hit her. The rag was actually a shirt, a white tank that belonged to

her. It was the shirt she had kept as an extra in her bag, witch had ben stolen. "Where did you get this?"

she questioned, eyeing him strangely. "In your bag. I found it in the woods" he replied, glancing back at

her. His response was believable enough, but she didn't bye it. Something about this man made her paranoid. The man stood, bringing the book bag up with him, turned around and held it out to her. She

glanced at it, but made no attempt to take it. "Something wrong?" he questioned, rasing an eye brow at

her. She hesitated, glancing from the bag, back to him. "No" she replied finally, snapping back to reality.

"It's a shame you don't have any bandages in here. That gash looks pretty bad" he explained, lifting his

hand to examine the wound. She moved instinctively and his hand dropped. "What?" he asked,

defensively. She stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say. She opened her mouth to speak. "Claire!" a

voice called, coming from the direction behind him. She looked over past his shoulder and spotted Charlie,

a few yards away, running towards them full speed. Her eyes lit up. Suddenly, the man pulled something

out of his pocket, swung his arm around her waist and swung her around so her back faced him. The

object he had pulled was a knife, witch he held to her throat, using the other arm to hold her still. Charlie

stopped in his tracks, but maintained a look of determination. The two stared of intensely, neither showing

any sign of backing down. He'd come to the rescue and he intended to do so, no matter what.


	16. Nostalgia

Disclaimer: sorry for the long wait, but I've been extremely busy, computers gone postal and I'm suffering from writers block. Not to mention that I haven't heard from any of my usual readers in a while. So just remember, the more you reply, the more I update. As for this chapter, it's a teaser. Its pretty short, and its another cliff hanger. I would have written more but I'm going away for the weekend and wanted to get something in. I'm going to use a bit of the last episode, but not to much simply because I don't know what's gonna happen and I don't want to dedicate myself to that plot to much and end up not being able to right over the season break. But with that said, this chapter is a little bit graphic, as a warning. I hope to write as much as possible over the break so that's something to look forward to. P.S. more flash backs.

**Alatariel10: Thank you so much for your update. Its always great to hear from new readers and I'm really glad you enjoyed it. **

**A A Battery: Man is that a scarey thought. shivers. I better update soon, I defonetly _don't _want that. Not-at-all. **

**Ashlyn Alexis: I'm sorry about the spelling issues. When I first started wrighting I didn't have much of a spell checker so I had to read them over myself and I missed a lot. But as you read on in the more recent chapters, it gets better. I'm not sure how far you read in, but if the spelling is still bad no one's informed me and it would be great to have some help. Thanks for offering. **

FATE

Nostalgia

Claire's eyes slowly blinked open to the clear, pale blue sky. Her head pounded as she sat up and

looked around. She was back on the beach, lying in the shade beside the plane wreckage, a look

of confusion on her face. "Claire" a voice said softly from behind her. She squinted up at the

speaker, shading her eyes so she could see him. "How you feeling?" Jack asked, giving a faint

smile back down at her. "Dizzy" she replied, stumbling as she tried to rise to her feet. "Careful"

he warned, holding her arm to help her balance. After a moment, the island stopped spinning and

she could stand on her one. She smiled faintly, but slowly turned to a frown as she noticed the

firmly wrapped bandage around her wrist. The look of bewilderment returned. "What happened?"

she asked, eyes widened. "Well, its kind of hard to explain. Sit down" he sighed, indicating to the

broken side of the plain wing. She pulled herself on to the dusty grey surface and waited for him

to continue. Jack sat down beside her, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. "What do

you remember?" he questioned, not wanting to explain any more then he had to. Claire thought

for a moment."Not much. I remember some one, one of the survivors , helped me out. He was

acting really strange. Then Charlie came." she explained thoughtful, replying the memory in her

head. _"Claire!" a voice called, coming from the direction behind him. She looked over past his _

_shoulder and spotted Charlie, a few yards away, running towards them full speed. Her eyes lit _

_up. Suddenly, the man pulled something out of his pocket, swung his arm around her waist and _

_swung her around so her back faced him. The object he had pulled was a knife, witch he held to _

_her throat, using the other arm to hold her still. Charlie stopped in his tracks, but maintained a _

_look of determination. The two stared of intensely, neither showing any sign of backing down_.

"That's all I remember" she shrugged conclusively. Jack shifted awkwardly. "Well, the man who

helped you, Earthen, wasn't actually a survivor" Jack began to explain. "What?" she questioned,

raising an eye brow. "He wasn't on the plain. We don't really know where he came from. We

assumed he was on the ship with Danielle" he elaborated. Claire nodded, distantly. "Alright, then

what happened?" Jack sighed again. "Well, Charlie found out about the same time we did, and we

all came out looking for you. Apparently Charlie found you, and..." he trailed off. "And what?"

she asked demandingly. "Well, we don't know exactly what happened but apparently the two of

them got into fight of some sort, and you got knocked unconscious" he began to explain quickly.

"Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean your not sure? Didn't Charlie tell you what happened?" she

questioned. He started at the ground, looking for the right words. She waited patently. "No.

Charlie didn't tell us" he replied after a moment. "Why not?" she asked, as if she already knew the

answer. "Because...we don't know where he is" Jack answered slowly, sympathetically. Claire's

eyes widened with shock. Her lower lip trembled. She was unable to speak. "We've been looking

all over form him. Locke's been out there for three days" he tried to assure, but stopped when he

noticed the tears roll down her cheek. "How long have I ben unconscious?" she asked softly,

staring at her trembling hand. Jack glanced away, said nothing. "How long?" she demanded with a

mild rumble in her voice. "Two weeks" he answered regretfully. Her head lowered, and she tried

to muffle a sob. "Come on, you must be hungry" he suggested, slowly rising. Claire didn't move.

He frowned and walked over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him" he

promised, optimistically. She choked out a small sob. "Claire, liston to me. I know your upset.

And I can't imagine what your feeling right now. But what I need you to do is try to calm down.

Maybe if you can relax, eat something, your memory will come back" he insisted as

sympathetically as he could. Claire nodded and tried to wipe her eyes. He helped her down from

the edge of the plain wing and walked her over to the fire. As they walked to the fire, Claire tried

her hardest to calm down by taking slow breaths. Pulling the air in silently, taking wide steps.

Suddenly it hit her. She stumbled with a gasp and Jack grabbed her arm. _He held her in a tight _

_grip, hands digging into the skin of her arms, leaving bruises on her shoulder. "Let her go" _

_Charlie demanded firmly, with a look of wild determination in his eyes_. "Are you ok?" he asked,

startled. Claire's eye remained shut for a few seconds before she took in another deep breath.

"Yeah" She replied breathlessly,"I think its starting to come back." Jacks eyes widened. "What

did you remember?" he asked, still supporting her. "The man, Ethan, he was holding me like a

hostage. Charlie told him to let me go...that's all"she explained uncertainly. "Alright" he nodded

softly, and continued towards the fire. Kate , Shannon, Boone and Hurly all glanced up as Jack

set Claire down. Shannon sat by a small mettle box stuffed with blankets, witch soon became

apparent that this was Ben's new bed. "Here" Hurly said, offering her a plate. Claire took it

slowly, and sat it on her lap. He gave a short, uncomfortable smile. She poked at the little sliver of

meat with her spoork, un enthused. The last thing she wanted to do at the moment was eat. Her

stomach was turfing like a dryer on high cycle, not to mention the light handedness. They group

watched her inspectible as she raised the small morsel of meat to her mouth and chewed

uncomfortably. After a moment, they must have sensed her discomfort and looked away. All

except Jack, who's eye were steady examining the side of her arm. She looked down at her

shoulder, where a large, dark brown bruise swelled across her entire biceps. "What?" she asked

softly, not comprehending why he was so interested in a bruise, after all they were every where.

"This wasn't there earlier" he mumbled almost inaudibly, without removing his eye from her arm.

"Are you sure?" Kate asked, leaning over his shoulder. "Positive. I would have noticed it" he

replied, lifting her arm by the wrist to get a closer look. "Dose it hurt?" he questioned, glancing

up at her for a quick second. "No. I hadn't even notice it until-" she explained, but was cut short

as she observed him fully examining her arm. He lifted up and brushed his fingers across the skin.

"It goes all the way around" he concluded. "Almost like a hand print" Shannon chimed in from

across the fire. "Are there any more?" Kate questioned, turning to him. "I only cheeked what's

visible" he replied, uncertainly. "Maybe you should try." he suggested, meeting Claire eyes once

again. "Try-?" she asked, not quite understanding. "Just go in to one of the tents. See if you can

find any bruises, scares, scratched. Anything" Jack explained. Claire nodded, and continued

eating. The circle remained relatively silent the entire time and the only way Claire could keep

herself from crying was to remove any train of thought. She finished eating and walked back to

the tent with a zombie like mind, holding the small mirror witch Shannon had given her in hand.

She sat it down on the table and pulled back her hair. The movement of her hand made the wound

hurt. She brought it back down, letting her hair fall back over her shoulders and examined it. A

jagged purple haze ran around and beneath the rhyme of the bandage at her wrist and around each

of the fingers, witch seemed paler then the rest of her skin. _"Don't come any closer" Ethan _

_instructed, gripping the small knife in his hand. "Let her go!" Charlie repeated forcefully, _

_ignoring his command and nearly cutting him off. He pushed past a tree but stopped in his tracks _

_as soon as Ethan moved the knife up to her neck. His expression changed from determined to _

_worried. Before either even breathed, Claire tried to pull herself away. She managed to escape _

_his grip but not for long. Her grabbed her hand by the wrist, jerked her back into his range and _

_through the other arm, with knife in hand around her waist. Holding her hand in his own and her _

_chest. Charlie to a step forward. "Don't!" Ethan ordered, and began squeezing her hand in his _

_as hard as he could. Charlie stopped, but he did not. He griped it tighter and tighter until he _

_herd the bone snap. Claire screamed with pain. _Her eye flew back open. She shook her head,

trying to lose the memory. A pain, witch had shot through her hand at the memory fadded, and

she continued to pull her hair back into a pony tail again. She lifted the tank over her head,

carefully so she didn't disturb the wound. She looked down at her bare stomach. A few large

bruises ran from her hip to her ribs on the right side. She held the mirror at her side to get a better

look. In the reflection, she noticed a few small red marks that looked almost like cat scratches. she

ran her finger tips across her skin. She jumped when suddenly she herd the rustle of plastic near

the door and turned to see who was intruding. "Woo, sorry." Sowyer apologized, closing his eyes

so she could put her shirt back on but made not attempt to leave. She was in the middle of pulling

the tank back on when he opened his eyes again just in time to catch the bruises. "Jesus. Where did

that come from?" he questioned, tilting his head to the side. "I don't know" she replied honestly,

linking the tips of her fingers at her waist. "Well damn, sweat heart. First you give birth, then your

boy friend goes and gets all doped up, then you get the island plague and now this. You just can't get a break, can you?" He said with a grin. She looked down at the floor, clearly in no mood for

company. His smile fadded as he walked over to her. "Do they hurt?" he asked, tilting his head to

the side as he noticed the one on her arm. She shook her head no. "Huh. That's strange" he noted

thoughtfully, "What did the good doctor have to say?" Claire crossed her arms and continued

stareing at the ground. "He didn't know they were there" she answered casually. "Some doctor"

He mumbled sarcastically. His attempt to lighten the situation was failing. "Of chorse, I doubt your

worrying about yourself in a situation like this" he assumed, changing the subject. Claire nodded,

in agreement. "How long did it take them to find me?" She asked suddenly, completely ignoring

his statement. "About three days. Said you were unconscious when they got there, probably from

that gash on your forehead" he explained, indicating to the red wound that ran just along her

hairline to the left. "No, this wasn't from then. I got that earlier" she explained more to herself then

to him. "Huh. Well what ever it was, you were out cold and Charlie was no where to be found" he

confirmed, leaning one elbo on the table. "What else?" she questioned curiously. "Well, they said

that they found a knife, with blood, stuck in the ground. But besides you that's about it" he

answered casually. She frowned, hoping to get a little more detail. "And of chorse, you can't

remember anything." he stated almost like a question. She nodded. "What do you think

happened?" he asked. The question caught her off guard, and she looked up. He blinked

impatiently. "I-I don't know." she replied, not knowing what to say. "But you don't think Charlie

did it?" he said, once again a statement in the form of a question. "No. Of chorse not" she

answered, shocked at the idea. "Why?" she added, giving a confused look. "That's what Jack s

seems to think." Sawyer shrugged. "Finding you out cold, only suspects diapered. Seems like a

reasonable accusations." he continued. "Charlie would never. I told Jack, it was Ethan" She

confirmed angrily. "Hey, don't look at me. I'm on your side. The kid might think he's a bad ass when its man to man but hes not the abusing type. Exspeicaly with you. But Jack seems to think

other wise." he explained in his defense. "If Jack thinks Charlie's the one who did it, why did he

send Locke out to rescue for him?" She questioned in disbelief. " Oh, he's not out to rescue Charlie.

He's hunting him." Sawyer contradicted with a devious grin. Her eyes widened with shock. She

gripped the edge of the table and for a moment she looked like she was about to faint. "Oh hell no.

You faint they're gonna blame it on me" he warned, trying to support her. She took a deep breath.

"This is insane" she muttered breathlessly, as if she were about to cry. "No kidding" he agreed,

"The question is, what are you gonna do about it?" Claire looked back up at him with

bewilderment. "Well you can't just leave him out there to get killed" her confirmed. She glanced

away for a moment. He was right. She wasn't about to sit back and let Charlie get killed. " How? I

can't go out there alone-" she began to ramble nervously. "That's why I'm hear" he interrupted

confidently. "Are you sure?" she asked, looking up at him hopefully. "Sure as hell" he confirmed.

"Ok" she sighed in agreement. He gave a little smile of triumph. "Great. Get your stuff together. I'll

go get mine and then we'll head off unseen, alright?" he planned. She nodded and he headed off.

She began loading up anything useful into her back pack. Flash light, lighters, bandages, food,

watter bottles, her note book. She set the bag down on the table and looked the room over one last

time. Her eyes caught the mirror, witch was laying beside the bag on the table. She picked it up and

with one quick motion, banged it agenst the side of the table. It broke into two large, jagged pieces.

She took one of the bandages and wrapped it around and around and around the squared off half of

the glass until it bade a safe handle. She gripped it in her palm for a moment. _Ethan continued to _

_crush her hand inside his despite Charlie's pleas. bone snapped and blood poured from between _

_his knuckles. Tears poured down her cheeks as she begged for him to stop._ _Unable to stand it any _

_longer, Charlie Charged. Ethan released her hand and blocked him with the same arm. He pushed his arm forward and knocked Charlie back on the ground, pulling Claire to the side and keeping a _

_sturdy grip around her elbo. Charlie laid flat on his back, coughing, and tried to sit up. "Don't even _

_try" Ethan warned, stepping on his chest. Charlie ignored his threat and took hold of his foot, _

_pushing it off of him. Ethan staggered back into the stone, pulling Claire with him. Charlie quickly _

_stumbled to his feet. "Don't even think about it" Ethan warned, holding the blade just inches away _

_from her heat before Charlie could even take a step forward. "You wouldn't want me to hurt her, _

_now, would you?" he questioned mockingly, running his fingers through her hair. "You bastard" _

_Charlie uttered with all the hatred in the world. Ethan gave an evil grin. "No kidding." _Her eyes

opened again. She tucked the home made weapon into the pocket of her shirt and zipped up the

bag. She turned only to find Jack stareing back at her from the door way. "Where are you going?"

he asked sternly, already knowing the answer. "The jungle. To look for Charlie" She answered

firmly, showing no sign of backing down. "No your not." he contradicted with the same

stubbornness. "He didn't do it, Jack" she protested, ignoring his command. "I'm not letting you go

out there" he replied, not backing down. She frowned, and walked towards the door. "Claire" he

said, putting his arm out in her path to stop her, "don't do this." She looked up at blankly,

unconvinced. "Its to dangerous" he explained. "Its not your problem, Jack. Its mine. Now get out

of my way" she ordered. He was so taken off gourd by her forcefulness that he let his arm drop and

allowed her to brush past him without even blinking. She meet up with Sawyer on her way up the

beach. "Jack try to stop you?" questioned, siding up with her. "Yep" she replied shortly, walking

fast. They walked through the woods quickly, fallowing the large track that Locke had made.

Broken trees and leaves scattered all over the ground along with rows of foot prints. They said

nothing for the first half hour of they're search. Finally, Sawyer could no longer stand the silence.

"You seem to know where your going" he muttered breathlessly, trying to keep up. "Just fallowing

the path" she replied distantly, without looking back. "You know, this is a new side of you. I always

thought you were the domestic one" he smiled as he spoke, "Now look at you. Leading the way."

Claire still didn't look back. "Some one has to" she replied. "And I'm glad to fallow" he agreed

cheerfully. "Why is that?" she questioned, a hint of a smile fading onto her face. "Well one, I'm tired

of Jack-ass running the show. Two, I like the kid. Don't want him getting hurt" He answered

casually. "Hes not a kid" she corrected, defensively, waiting for him to argue. "I guess your right" he

agreed, witch caught her by surprise.

Charlie awoke to pure darkness and only the sound of his own heavy breathing and the etching of

rope agenst his skin. His hands were crossed at the wrist and tied over his head so that he dangled

from where ever the rope had been tied. The tip of his shoes just barely reaching the ground. He

soon relived that not only was he not touching the ground, but he was slowly spinning, and had been

for some time. He felt dizzy, nauseous , and above all hot. Sweat dripped from his forehead and the

palms of his hands. As he turned at the speed of a snail uncontrollably, he realized that behind him

was a source of light. The opening to a cave. He was pretty far inside, but could still see clearly out

into the open. By the blueish tent of the leaves and trees, it appeared to be early morning or late

afternoon. He could feel the bruising around his eyes, witch he could barely keep open, along with

the pain in his chest.


	17. Nice Girls

Disclaimer: Don't own lost. This fic was another shortly, and I still didn't take you very far. Sorry I'm dragging it out so much, but it shouldn't be much longer. Have fun.

**A A Battery: Sorry to keep you waiting. evil grin I love cliff hangers**

**Alatariel10: I know exactly how you feel about the next couple weeks without lost. So I will be righting as much as I can to keep myself sane as well. **

FATE

Nice Girls

"Where is Claire?" Charlie asked in a whisper. Ethan smiled. "I thought you'd ask that" was his

reply, as he leaned agenst the wall of the cave, obscuring himself from the light so only one side of

his face showed. "Where!?" he demanded as he began coughing. His voice sounding strange and

distant, as if some one had beat his vocal chords to a bloody pulp. Ethan laughed. "You might

wanna just take it easy. You don't look so good" He continued to ignore the question, finding the

situation quite amusing. "I swear to god if you hurt her.." Charlie threatened, leering at him

intensively. "You'll what? Throw yourself in my general direction?" Ethan taunted while laughing.

Charlie's expression did not change. He could fill his wrist slipping slowly beneath the ropes,

makeing his skin burn. "Face it Charlie, your in a _bad_ sitituaton" he continued, "I suggest you

stop beating your self up." Charlie closed his eyes, trying to block him out. His head throbbed,

and he was growing exceedingly pale. He became well aware that he may pass out at any given

moment. "Where is she, Ethan" he mumbled almost inaudibly, head down. "What is it about her

anyway, that has you so fascinated?" Ethan teased with a smirk as he pushed himself off the wall

and approached him.. His back was turned, from what Charlie could see. He had walked into the

dark and seemed to be looking for something. "I could ask you the same question" Charlie slurred

violently, eyes barley open. "What makes you think I'm after Claire?" Ethan questioned with a

look of entertainment as he turned back into the light, crossing his arms. "Your obviously not

after me" he answered bluntly. "How's that?" Ethan asked inquisitively, talking to down to him

like a psychiatrist would. Knowing no matter the answer, he could make you sound

crazy. "Because if you wanted me, you would have killed me already." Charlie finished, shifting

the weight of his shoulders. Ethan looked surprised by his response. "Don't think I don't know

your using me as bait. I'm not an idiot" he added blankly. His voice had no tone or expression,

just a slurred drone of words blending into one another. "Could of fooled me" Ethan snorted,

amusing himself. "Just tell me where she is" Charlie replied, ignoring any insult intend towards

him. Ethan didn't respond, his eyes trailed across the floor. "That what I thought" Charlie noted,

after a moment, pulling his head back as far as he could. The muscles in his arms and neck felt as

if they were being torn apart. "You thought what?" Ethan asked skeptically, crossing his arms as

he took a few steps forward. "You don't know" Charlie answered smugly, knowing full well he

was right. Ethan smiled, and looked at the ground. "If you knew, you'd tell me" Charlie added

shortly. "I admire your courage, Charlie" Ethan grinned sarcastically. Charlie's eyes caught the

shine of the serenge in his hand only moments before he untucked it from where he been keeping

it folded in his arms an squeezed out the access liquid. A clear-greenish substance squirted out

from the tip. "Hold still, this is going to hurt. A lot" With that he lifted the side of Charlie's shunt

and stabbed the needle into his abdomen. Charlie cringed and struggled for a few seconds until the

drug kicked in. Ethan watched triumphantly as he fadded into unconsciousness.

"Are you sure your alright?" Claire asked, kneeling down beside sowyer, who had gotten himself

caught up in some kind of trap. He stepped on a trip wire, and next thing he knew he was

dangling by his ankle from a branch thirty feet off the ground. Claire hand managed to cut him

down with her home made weapon, with little injury. "Yeah," he sighed, "but who the hell goes

out setting traps in the middle of the god damn woods?" Claire shrugged. "Maybe Locke" she

guessed, skeptically. "Ass whole" Sawyer grumbled as he pulled himself to his feet. "I don't think

it was meant for you" she assured, makeing an attempt to help him up. He brushed her hand

away, proving he could manage on his own. "Next time you see one of those things you let me

know" he suggested, brushing past her. "I didn't see it before" she defended, pulling her bag back

on. "And that's another thing" he began his rant, stopping once again to face her. She shifted her

weight and waited patently. "How is it that you just walk through and completely miss the wire,

and I'm the one who gets flung up into the sky like a god damn yo yo!?" he finished angrily. "I

have no idea" she responded plainly. "Yeah. Right" he replied skeptically, lighting up a cigarette.

Claire pushed past him and continued walking. "Those things will kill you, you know" she

informed without looking back. "No kidding. So will plundering around the enchanted forest with

you" he defended, slipping the zippo back into his pocket. "Then why are you?" she questioned,

continuing to look forward. "I already told you" he answered, taking another drag. She shook her

head and continued her onward march. They walked for a while without talking until Sowyer s

stopped in his tracks. Claire hadn't noticed until he grabbed her arm. "What is it?" she whispered,

but was cut of by his even louder "Shh!" she waited for a moment, until she herd what had startled

him. In a near distance, a single twig snapped. The sound was fallowed by silence. They stood

almost back to back in a state of cat like alertness, not sure where the sound had come from. In a l

loud brush, about ten more branches snapped. Leaves rustled and feet hit the ground until a

familiar face appeared before them. Locke sighed with temporary relief. "What are you two doing

out here?" he questioned after a moment, trying to catch his breath. "Why, the same thing you are"

Sowyer grinned. "Well you better go back" Locke instructed, looking up at the two. "Oh, and

why's that?" he asked in return, makeing no indication of leaving. "Because...its dangerous" he

replied slowly, taking heavy breaths between words as if he were a nine year old with asthma. Sowyer smiled at this. "What ever 'dangers' that happen to be out here, I'm sure we can handle

it."he said smugly and began walking. "Your wrong" Locke confirmed sternly. Sowyer stopped in

his tracks. "Please, turn back" He continued, after no one respond. When he spoke he looked

directly at Claire, and his voice changed from an order to a plea. "I can't" she admitted, as if she

almost wished that she could. She didn't get an enjoyment out of it. She wasn't out tumbling

through the woods looking for a since of entitlement like some of the others. She was there for one

purpose: Charlie. The man who had taken care of her since they first meet. She wasn't about to let

him down. "Claire, I know you want to save Charlie. But theres nothing you can do" Locke tried

to compromise, but he was only makeing the situation worse. "Don't tell me what I can and can't

do" she replied defensively, clearly offended by his words. Locke stopped abruptly, taken a back as

he heard his own words echoing back at him. He sighed in surrender, unable to argue with

someone who had just so powerfully quoted him. But before any of them could speak, a loud

crash sounded from all around them. The echo bounced of trees, makeing it appear to come from

every angle. Locke listened for a moment, alert. "This way" he said, starting off in some random

direction. Sowyer shrugged, and run off after him. Claire took up behind.

_Charlie sat lifelessly at the bar, ease dropping on the various conversations going on around him. _

_A couple to his side remembering some anniversary, tow gits next to him arguing over business, _

_the whole lot of loud mouths, dancers, and the blocks playing Poole in the back all having a _

_grand old time. And he was trapped in the center, miserable. His temples throbbed as ran his _

_finger around the rhyme of his empty shot glass. And to think, a year ago you would have vomited _

_at the sight of vodka, he thought as he let the glass slip away from beneath his hand so the _

_bartender could re fill it. He was about ready to sneak out when a familiar face popped up beside _

_him. "Its about time" he scolded playfully_, _grinning back at his brother. "Yeah, sorry about that" _

_he replied, scratching the back of his head. Showing little remorse. A grin crossed his face. _

"_Here. I'd like you to meet two of my new best mates" he said, indicating to the two model-_

_material girls standing next to him. One, a tall dark haired bird named Christen, the other an _

_even tall blond called Eden. Both fairly attractive, leggy, disgustingly thin, both probably taller _

_then him. He glassed up, uninterested but faked a simile. Not only were they not his type, but he _

_really wasn't in the mood to be around any females at the moment. It had been less then a month _

_since Amy's funeral and Liam had spent the entire time trying to hook him up with every tart who _

_crossed his path. This was getting ridiculous, he thought, as he turned his back. "Excuse us for a _

_moment, ladies" Liam said politely, with and awkward slime. The two walked off into the crows. _

"_What the hell was that?" Liam questioned outrageously once they were gone. "I told you _

_before" Charlie tried to explain wearily. "Oh come on! Are you a man or what?" Liam asked _

_sarcastically, tilting his head as he waited for Charlie answer. "Liam, don't do this" he sighed, _

_agitated. "Do what? I'm just trying to help you" Liam defended. "Well stop!" Charlie snapped _

_before he could finish. Liam stared at him blankly and blinked for a moment before his words _

_settled in. " fine." he sneered, "stay alone. Why the bloody hell should I care?" Charlie watched _

_regretfully as Liam stormed off into the crowd, bumping people out of his way as he went. The _

_glass had appeared infront of him, full to the rhyme. He sighed, and poured his third shot down _

_and continued stareing off into nothing, with no reaction to the horrific taste. Why was I being so _

_defensive? He thought to himself as he stared at the empty glass infront of him. After all, he was _

_just trying to help. That's what brothers are for. But why can't he understand that I'm just _

_not...ready. His thought trailed off as his eyes caught something else. A young girl, clearly lost _

_trying unsuccessfully to politely make her way to the bar. He watched, almost in slow motion, as she approached slowly, trying to squeeze between each ignorant git standing in her way without _

_upsetting them. She was defonetly in the wrong place. Finally, reached the bar beside and _

_squeezed in beside him. "Excuse me" she said at a normal tone, trying to get the bar tenders _

_attention. It became clear why she was so lost. The pour girl wasn't even English! "Excuse me!" _

_she repeated a little louder, but still maintaining her manners. Feeling sorry for the girl, he _

_decided to pitch in. "Try this" he muttered, leaning over to her. " WILL!" he hollered at the bar _

_tender, who turned instantly. The girl jumped at the sound, clearly startled. The tall, elderly man _

_called WILL made his way over and waited patiently. Charlie turned his head to the girl and _

_stared as well, indicating for her to speak. "I'm suppose to meet some one here, have you heard _

_from a man name Thomas?" she asked, strugling to talk over the crowd. "Nope" Will replied, _

_shanking his head. "Oh. Alright" she said, looking disappointed. Will nodded and walked back _

_across the bar. The girl frowned and tapped her hand on the bar, thinking. "Who's Thomas?" _

_Charlie asked after a moment. The girl looked up, surprised. "I'm sorry?" she asked with a look _

_of confusion. "You said you were looking for a man named Thomas" he reminded her. "Oh. He's _

_my boyfriend, sort of" she answered uncertainty. "Sort of?" he questioned, turning the stool to _

_face her. The couple behind her stood and began moving out. She plopped back on one of the _

_stools. "Yeah. We used to date, but now were just friends" she explained shyly. He nodded. "Some _

_friend" he huffed sarcastically, "dragging a sweet girl like you out to a dump like this." She _

_smiled at the comment. "What a line" she teased, her grin growing with her words. She had a _

_gorgeous smile. Bright eyes, heart-shaped face, perfect teeth, defonetly not British. He laughed _

_back, realizing he'd just blurted out the oldest one in the book without even meaning to. "Besides, _

_apparently I'm at the wrong place" she explained, looking around the room unpleasantly. "Maybe _

_I can help. Where are you suppose to be?" he asked, disregarding his glass witch he had been clinging to. She thought for a moment, and her cheeks reddened. "I don't really know" she _

_admitted, laughing with embarrassment. He raised an eye brow as he watched her begin to search _

_through her pocket. "He gave me an address, and I know it's a pub, but I can't really read his _

_hand righting" she explained as she retrieve a crinkly piece of scrap paper and handed it to him. _

_He took it confidently and scanned over the wrighting, the did a double take, squinting to get a _

_closer look. "Bloody hell" he muttered as he stared at the squiggly black lines before him. "I _

_know" she laughed amusingly. "Hate to break it to you, luv, but your screwed" he confirmed, _

_handing the paper back to her. Her smile fadded as she slipped it back into her pocket. He began _

_fidgeting as he searched for something else to say that might cheer her up. "So what business brings _

_you to England?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject. "Oh, nothing important" she answered _

_modestly, her eyes shifting to the shot glass beside him witch was being filled as she spoke. "Two" _

_he instructed to the bar tender once he became aware of his presence. The mad laid another one _

_down and filled it up without expression. Charlie took the second glass and nudged it in her _

_direction. "No thank you, I don't drink" she said quickly, appearing lightly uncomfortable. "Oh _

_come on, are you Australian or what?" He insisted sarcastically. "How did you know I was _

_Australian?" she asked with surprised, successfully changing the subject. "Well your not English" _

_He confirmed sluggishly, as he wrapped his hand around the glass. "Why's that?" she asked _

_promptly, showing interest. "You have lovely teeth, now drink!" he ordered. She smiled and lifted the _

_glass. They clinked the glasses together, took the shot and slammed them back down, as was the _

_custom. She began choking with a look of disgust. "How is it?" he asked sarcastically, smiling at her _

_reaction. "My god! That's the worst thing I've ever tasted" she replied with a look of disgust. _

"_Really? That it?" He asked with a look of surprise. She nodded in response, unable to speak due to _

_the burning in the throat. "You must not have siblings" he predicted with a hint of envy. "Nope" she replied, begging to recover. "Lucky" he grumbled jealously, "My brother made me eat _

_everything!" She snickered abruptly, the smile makeing its way back. "Worms, spiders, dirt, my _

_mums ear pearl ear rings" he elaborated. Her laugh matched her smile, pure, happy and free. "You _

_poor thing" she comforted, and tried to stop laughing. "Oh don't worry, I got him back" he assured. _

_She laughed again. "What's your name?" She asked after a moment The question caught him off _

_gard. Why was she interested in me? He thought, before realizing that he was keeping her waiting. For _

_a moment he almost forgot. "Charlie" he babbled out after a moment. She giggled at his slow _

_response. " Charlie-?" she trailed off into a question. "Just Charlie, like Madonna" he joked. They _

_both laughed a little bit. "And you are?" he asked in return. She began to answer but he interrupted. _

"_Wait, let me guess" he suggested, giving a thoughtful look. She gave him a questioning look, but _

_decided to play along. He pondered for a moment. _

"_Something short, common...am I right so far?" _

"_Uhh" she trailed off, not sure what he meant. "Alright" he continued thinking. "Starts with an...A" _

_he guessed, looking up to see if he was correct. "Uh, no" she answered bluntly. "Alright" he said _

_again, going back into thinking mode. "Fine, what is it?" he asked, giving up. Before she could _

_answer, a man appeared behind her and tapped her shoulder. "Thomas!" she greeted cheerfully. _

_turning to face the man. "Hey, sorry I'm late" he apologized, giving a strange glance at Charlie. _

"_Oh, its alright" she assured. "You ready to go" he asked hopefully, pretending to then ignore him. _

"_Yeah" she nodded, gathering her bag and her jacket as she hopped off the stole. "By Charlie" She s_

_aid as the two disappeared into the crowd. "Cheers" he mumbled in response as he turned back to the _

_bar. Now there, was a nice girl. _


	18. The Next Level

Disclaimer: Where are you people? Comment please! If you don't, I won't know if your still there. If I don't think anyone reading, I won't update. I'm sure you know how that goes.

FATE

The Next Level

Claire followed close behind the two as they darted through the woods. But with short legs and a

slow start made it hard to keep up. She followed their trail to an opening, surrounded by higher

ground. The two had all ready climbed the short distance to a higher level when she approached.

The pulled herself up the short wall of soil by a thick root until she reached the top. Sowyer stood

still before a curved wall of vines and think trees witch stood in a circle. Locke was no where to

be sceen. She pulled herself up the rest of the way and began forward just as Locke emerged from

within the circle with a look of remorse, sadness and sickness all tangled into one. Her heart sank.

She charged forward, but was stopped by Sowyer, who wrapped his arms around her waist and

held her back. Completely lifting her off the ground and turning his back to the circle in an

attempt to shield her from the image inside. She shrugged histaricly, unable to move her arms. Her

legs kicked and flailed, makeing it difficult for him to keep hold of her. Locke pitched in, trying to

calm her. She planted her feet on the ground, fighting his hold with every ounce of straight in her

body and managed to jerk both him and herself to the side. Locke reached out his arms on either

side of her shoulder trying to both turn her and block her view at the same time. But it was to

late. Heir flailing stopped at a halt as her eyes coughed the most disturbing sight she had ever

witnessed. Charlie's hand, dirty and bruised dangled at his thigh. Her eyes trailed down his leg to

the bottom of his feet, witch hung atleast four ft. off the ground. Her eyes filled with tears as she

realized all to quickly what was going on.

Charlie awoke to the sudden shock of a fist hitting his rib cage. He choked on the air as it rushed

into his lungs. His eyes flew open for a split second in shock before he began gagging. Hands

tugged at him, trying to turn him flat on his back as he rolled onto his side, choking helplessly. He

allowed them to tug at him reluctancy, unable to focuses on anything besides trying to breath. He

opened his eyes as the coughing fadded, but could barley see. Every thing was a greenish blur. He

squinted at the figure before him until it formed a face. Locke smiled back at him with relief. He

gazed back at him, confused. His eyes trailed from Locke to Sowyer, who kneeled beside him with

a slightly different, more angered look of relief, but it was there none the less. Finally, he saw

Claire stareing back at him with salt-stained eyes. Both hands wrapped tightly around his. The path

of tears still sparkling on her cheeks. "Claire" he said softly, with a hint of worrier, as he sat up.

His rib cage cramped as soon as he moved, and the blood rushed to his head. "Stay still" Locke

instructed, easing him back down. Claire leaned over him, brushing the hair off his face while being

careful to avoid any bruises. She was laughing and crying at the same time. He stared up at her,

still wearily confused about what was going on. He could tell by the way they were acting that

something really bad, just happened and because of the pain that consumed his entire body, it

probably was something to do with him. He laid his head back agenst the muddy ground and tried

hard to remember. Soon, it came back to him. Ethan had drugged him, that's the last he could

recall. He shifted, and tried to sit up again, makeing about a courter way before his ribs cringed

again. Before he could fall back into place Claire warped her arms around him, holding him as tight

as she could. Her hair flung about his shoulders, her head buried in his chest. He rested on his elbo,

surprised at first by her sudden urge to squeeze him to death. Then slowly, he eased into her

warmth and began to relax. Her very touch maid the pain disappear. She was bleeding magic.

The trip back to the beach was almost a blur. They had laid him on some kind of a stretcher, how it

had been made was a mystery to him. Claire had tried to explain what had happened, but all he

remembered was stareing up at the trees and listing to her voice. He passed in and out of

consciousness as they walked until they reached the beach. The group gathered around to great them. Each showing the same excitement witch he made no attempt to understand. He was only

worried about Claire, who had continued to hold his hand the entire time and still clung to it as he

sat in the midst of a crowded celebration. Jack emerged from the crowd as expected and had him

rushed off to the medical tent for examination Where he sat now. He sat on a table with his legs

dangling over the sides. His pants ripped, completely covered in mud on the back, streaked across

the front and he seemed to be missing a shoe. Claire sat beside him with her hand in his, resting on

his thigh. Locke sat near the floor, using a small stack of suitcases as a chair while Sowyer lingered

in the corner impatiently. Jack returned with water, a mag light and his handy assistants. He

walked over to Charlie and placed his hands on the side of his head, tilting it to inspect the

wounds. "My god" he muttered under his breath as he studied each little mark. He continued to tilt

it until he noticed the thick red wring traveling around his neck and cringed slightly. He ran his

finger along the edge of the rope burn, witch had managed break the skin. Charlie flinches slightly,

but continue to allow Jack to finish his examination. "Can you remember anything?" Jack asked,

tilting his head in the opposite direction. "A bit" he answered uncomfortably. "He drugged me, I

think. Stabbed me with a needle" he grumbled, still moving his head wherever Jack positioned it.

"Where?" Jack asked shortly, finally letting go. Charlie lifted his shirt and pointed to the small red

mark the needle had left. It was clearly visible, located just above the tree trade mark scars, that

appeared to once again bee busted open. Jack kneeled down to take a better look, and frowned. "It

might be infected" he said, indicating to the dark ring around the dot. "I thinks that's just bruising"

Charlie replied hopefully, lifting the shirt higher to reveal the parade of colors that ran acorns his rib

cage. Jack squinted at them for a moment, then stood. "Anything else hurt? Your legs? Your back?"

he asked, towering over him. Charlie thought for a moment. It was hard to tell what was hurt and

what was just sore. The pain all mixed in together until he was almost numb. Jack must have realized this, because he gave up on his previous question. "Hop up" he instructed, take a couple steps back.

Charlie slowly rose to his feet and gained his balance. "What was he like when you found him?" he

asked, circling him as he talked. For a moment, no one spoke. He had come upon a touchy subject.

"Well?" he asked, showing that it was important. "He was hanging" Locke confirmed shortly, looking

up at the two plainly. "From what?" Jack questioned, studding the back of Charlie's neck. "A tree"

Locke answered again, with the same tone. Charlie looked confused, not recalling ever being hung

from a tree. "Were his hands tied?" Jack continued to question as he further studied Charlie's arms,

lifting up the sleeves to cheek for any hidden marks. For a moment no one spoke. Locke glance from

Sowyer to Claire, showing that he didn't remember. Claire shivered as the image of his hand dangling

at his side resurfaced in the mind. "They weren't tied" she answered softly. Jack looked at the other

arm, running his hand across the skin. The elbo seemed to be scraped on the left arm, a few scratched

and busted knuckles on the right. "Well, who ever did this beat you up pretty bad" Jack confirmed,

giving his over all opinion. "Who ever did this?" Charlie questioned offensively, "I know exactly who

did it." Jack sighed, and looked down for a moment. "We'll worry about that later. Right now, lets

worry about getting you bandaged up" He suggested, turning away from him. Locke and Sowyer both

moved to find the misplaced bandages. "What are you talking about?" Charlie raved, "that dastards

still out there!" His voice rose, and it clearly hurt him to talk. He tried to ignore it. "I'm aware of that,

Charlie. We'll deal with him soon, but right now I'm more concerned about your health" Jack

confirmed with a medical tone. "Fuck my health! He's trying to kill her!" Charlie protested, throwing

and unsteady point in Claire's direction. "You need to calm down" Jack ordered sternly, grabbing him

by the shoulders. Charlie stared back at him angrily from the dark rings around his eyes. "Liston to me,

Charlie. I understand that he's dangerous. We will do everything possible as soon as we figure out

what _to _do. Until then your going to stay here and protect Claire. Alright?" he demanded firmly. Charlie didn't respond, but looked away, showing that he had given in. Satisfied, Jack let go of his

shoulders. Locke handed him the pile of pre-made bandages witch he'd retrieved from a suitcase.

"Here," Jack said, handing him the pile, "I'm sure by now your perfectly capable of doing this

yourself." With that he walked out, Locke following behind. Sowyer gave him an amused grin before

folding out as well. Claire, who had not moved or spoken since her previous answer stood, and moved

to his side. She wrapped her arms around his waist gently and rested her head agenst his the back of

his shoulder. Once again, the pain floated away. He turned his head back to look at her and smiled.

Seeing her, feeling her made everything better. "Come on, lets get you bandaged up before you fall

apart" she suggested, taking the heap of sloppily folded bandages out of his arms and setting them on

the table next to a metal try filled with iodine. "Keep this up and I'll be looking like a mummy in no

time" he joked, trying to lighten the situation. It seemed so long since the last time her heard her laugh.

She patted the table top, indicating for him to sit. He hopped back up onto the surface and waited. One

by one, she dipped the think white strips into the rusty-colored liquid and patted them agenst his

wounds. He flinched slightly as the cold cloth touched his neck. "Sorry" she said, pulling her hand back

instinctively. "No, no. Its alright. Go ahead" he assured, smiling over her. She didn't smile back, but

continued to dab the cloth agenst his skin. After a moment, once she had covered the neck area, she laid

the rag down. "Let me see your arms" she said, kneeling on the surface of the table at his side. He held

out both arms, palms up. She unsnapped his bracelets and untied the little strip of cloth around his wrist.

Stared at it for a moment, funning her fingers lightly across his skin. He shivered slightly, and she

stopped. The silence was become intensively awkward, and he found himself searching for something,

anything to say. She dipped the next bandage and began wrapping around his elbo. He watched her plain

expression as she struggled with the knot. That's when he noticed the red whelp on her lower lip. He

frowned slightly as he lifted his hand and, tilting her head to face him. "Its fine" she said after a moment when she realized what he was looking at. She lifted her and to her mouth in an attempt to cover it. He

took her hand, and studied the bandage. "You sure?" he asked, looking up at her. "Yes" she replied, a

smile slowly forming. He smiled back, feeling accomplished. She hoped back off the tabled and pulled

him up by his hand. He operated willingly with a look of amusement as she positioned his arms above his

head and pulled off his shirt. He stood awkwardly as she began wrapping the bandages around his waist.

"I don't think we have enough" she said with a little laugh as she studied the marks running all across his

chest. "Its just a bunch of bruises" he shrugged. "They might look ugly, but they don't really need

bandaging." Claire smiled and laid the bandage back down. "They're beautiful" she corrected playfully,

pulling her arms around him once again. He took in a deep breath, startled by the sudden touch. It was

the third time she had sprung a hug on him, and this time it was his bare skin witch made it ten times

worse. The warmth of her body and the feel of her skin agenst his not only made the aching fade, but

brought up some emotions he'd prefer to keep tamed. Or atleast, a part of him did. "Promise me

something" she said suddenly, without moving at all. "What's that?" he asked, looking down at her as he

brushed his hand over her hair. "Stop almost dieng" she answered softly. "I'll try" he answered with a

smile. She laughed, and it was real. Pure, rich laughter. He pulled his arms around her shoulders and

pulled her closer to him. Resting his head on top of hers.

Claire sat on the edge of the beach beside a bucket of water. Her cloths laying in an open suitcase at her

side. She kneeled on the sand with her hat plopped on her head, dipping a exceptional ruined white tank

top into the water. To her left, sat Kate, who was doing the same with her own batch of cloths, to her

right, was Sun, folding the cloths over her lap. Claire lifted the shirt back out of the water and inspected I

it. A good amount of the mud was gone, but the blood stains and a few grassy ones still remained. "I'm

running out of cloths" Claire noted, raising an eye brow as she stared at the top. "Who needs cloths?" Kate joked, brushing a lose strand behind her ear. Shannon made her way across the beach lugging a box

full of clothing behind her plus a whole duffle bag full swaying at her hip. Boone walked along side her,

makeing on attempt to help. She dropped the bag to the sand and plopped down beside Kate with a huff.

"My god, theres _so_ much shit to watch" she groaned, brushing her hair out of her face. "Well maybe if

you hadn't brought twenty suitcases" Boone teased, standing over the four. She made repeated his words

in a mocking manner and continued with her things. Sun watched them talk, but didn't say much. Witch

wasn't surprising, seeing that she didn't understand. But all the same, Claire felt like she was being left

out. She zoned out from the little tiff Shannon and Boone were carrying and tried to think of something

to say to her. Its wasn't so much that she didn't speak English, because she seemed to pick up a good

amount after being stuck there for so long. It was the fact that she was a mystery. She had sat with her

every time she need something cleaned, with had accrued quite a lot on the last five months, but she knew

absolutely nothing about her. She was drawn back to the conversation when Kate said her name.

"Hmm?" Claire asked, turning to her. "Well, I don't need any man" Shannon was saying defensively,

pretending to have a clue of what she was doing as she dipped one of her revealing little tops into the

water. Kate gave her a skeptical glance and rolled her eyes. Boone had left some time during Claire's day

dreaming, and she realized she completely lost the conversation. "Oh, who am I kidding" Shannon then

contradicted herself after a moment. Her, Kate, and even Sun laughed. Claire smiled, but didn't get the j

joke. "So, hows my little buddy doing?" Shannon asked, addressing Claire. "He's good. Talking a _lot_"

she said, recalling two nights ago when he awoke her and Charlie at the break of down screaming his

entire vocabulary with a grin. "Yeah, he's veery...verbal" Shannon agreed with a slightly guilty smile,

seeming to know of a similar incident. Claire gave her a questioning look. "What did he say?" she asked,

rasining an eye brow. "Well...." Shannon began, trying to look as innocent as she could. It didn't work.

"The other day, when I took him so you and Charlie could get some sleep, he uttered a particularly...not good word" She explained, trying not to laugh. "What word?" Claire said, unable to keep herself from

smiling. "Starts with an F" Shannon hinted, before busting into laughter. Claire shook her head, laughing

along with her. "I swear he didn't get it from me" she assured, shaking her head. "Then who'd he get it

form?" Kate accused playfully. Shannon bit her lip and gave a suggestive glance over at Charlie, who was

playing with Ben in the sand over by the boom fire. "Well" Claire said, looking in the same direction. "I

think your right" she agreed with a laugh. Sun smiled, glancing over at Charlie for a moment, then at her

husband, who was sitting on the rocks, looking for some sort of sea life to eat. She frowned for a

moment, then looked back at Charlie and Ben. "How old is he?" she asked, turning to Claire. "About four

months" Claire answered, squinting over at her. "He should be walking soon" Sun noted, looking at him

once again. Charlie was sitting cross-legged in the sand, holding Ben by both hands and trying to help him

keep balance. He stood for a while, until he became aware of it and plopped back onto his bottom.

"That'll be hell" Kate said jokenly. The four laughed. "Well" Shannon said after a moment, letting her

wet cloths drop in the open suitcase, "I'm not about to spend my whole day chatting with you girls like a

bunch old spencers." With that she got up and screeched a little."were not spencers, were cleaning

laddies" Kate corrected, calling out to her as she walked off. "So, Kate, how's Jack?" Claire asked, once

Shannon hand flipped her off without turning around and tripped over the sand. "He's...good" she

replied, her cheeks growing red. "No kidding" Sun snickered suggestibly. Kate blushed harder, innocently

sliding a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh come on," Claire teased, nudging her arm, " we've all heard

you." Kate grinned with embarrassment, draw dropped as if she were shocked. "Like you haven't done

anything!" she teased accusingly. "We haven't!" Claire protested, copying her shocked expression.

"Right" Sun said sarcastically. Kate second the opinion by rolling her eyes. "We haven't! I'm serious" she

insisted shyly, her cheeks growing pink as well. "Really? Why not?!" Kate gasped, giving her a

questioning look. Claire shrugged, not really knowing the answer. She thought for a moment. _Why hadn't _

_we? _"Well, you better get cracking!" Kate ordered cheerfully. Claire went red, and looked away,

embarrassed and turned her attention back to her cloths. As the subject of conversation shifted again and

again Claire drifted off, repeating the question in her mind.

"Hey" Sowyer said, easing himself down onto the sand beside Charlie. Charlie looked over, a bit startled

by his sudden presence, then grinned. "Hey" he replied, turning his attention back to ben who was sitting

to face him with both hands wrapped around one of Charlie's fingers, trying to use it as a chew toy.

"Ow" he muttered, as Ben tried once again to bite down."teething" he explained to Sowyer, who was

giving him a questionable look. "Ah. How much has he got?" he asked, looking down at the chubby little

man clinging to Charlie's wrist with all his might. "Six perfectly white teeth,"Charlie answered, "damn

Aussies." Sowyer smiled. "How's Claire doing?" he questioned, leaning back on his elbow's. He glanced

over at the edge of the beach where the three girls sat. Claire stareing off into no where as she dipped the

shirt into the water. "Good. Fantastic" he answered without taking his eyes off if her. _Unable_ to take his

eyes off her. "I'll bet" Sowyer muttered suggestively. Charlie's head perked up a bit at the insinuation.

"What's that suppose to mean?" he questioned, turning to look at him. Sowyer smiled a sneaky grin.

"Exactly what you think it means" he answered. "I wouldn't know" Charlie admitted with a shrug. Sowyer

sat up, removing his sun glasses to better give him a 'what the fuck?' look. "What the hell's the matter

with you, boy?" he scolded, after seeing that he was serious. "Its not that important, I guess. I mean, with

all that's been going on and the baby. Besides, she just gave birth. I doubt she really wants to" he began to

explain in a rambling tone. "Are you kidding? Women who recently gave birth are the most hormonal

creatures on the planet" Sowyer confirmed. "Really?" Charlie asked slowly, with a curious look. "Yep" he

answered firmly. "Hu" Charlie muttered, his jaw pulling to one side as he thought on that for a moment.

"You know this from, experience?" he asked, turning back to Sowyer. "Perhaps" Sowyer answered

secretively, pulling the black shades back on. Charlie thought for another moment, focusing on Claire who

set a few yards away from him. Sun and Kate were conversing rapidly across the tin barrel, but Claire

seemed to be some where else. Daydreaming, with her hair blowing about her in the wind. "Exactly"

Sowyer, said, able to tell by his fascinated expression that he was clearly interested. "Now quit drooling

and get over there!" he ordered with a grin. "What about ben?" Charlie asked, snapping out of his daze.

"I'll watch him. Go on." Sowyer insisted. "What do I say?" he asked nervously. "I don't know. Just talk to

her like you always do" Sowyer shrugged, growing slightly agitated. Charlie took a deep breath, and began

to sit up. "Maybe I should wait until later, when shes alone" Charlie suggested, trying to find a way out of

the situation. "Go!" Sowyer ordered. Charlie nodded, took in another deep breath and stood. Sowyer

watched him leave, waiting for Charlie to turn around and make another lame excuse. He didn't. After a

moment, Sowyer turned to the chubby little four month old sitting before him. Ben looked up at him with

wide blue eyes, fascinated with every thing he saw. "What are you looking at?" Sowyer said defensively, as

if he were talking to an adult. Ben giggled wildly at this. Sowyer raised an eye brow at him as he wobbled

back and forth with a gigantic grin across his face. "Weird little bastard" Sowyer muttered, lighting up a

fresh cigarette. He looked out to the edge of the beach where Charlie had just Reached Claire. He was

babbling something that couldn't be heard over the waves. Claire looked up at him and appeared to be

smiling. Sowyer exhaled, letting the smoke flow back out. "Just like your dad."

"Hey" Charlie said, stopping less then a foot at Claire's side. "Hey!" She said with a smile, looking up at

him. _Alright, she knows you're here. What now?_ "What you doing?" He asked, pulling the first thing he

could think of. "Laundry" She answered, giving him a curious look. "Yeah. I knew that" He replied,

realizing the stupidity of the question._ Nice going, ass. _None the less, he lowered himself down beside her.

"So, what have you laddies been chatting about?" He asked cheerfully, crossing his arms over his knees.

"You, actually" Kate told deviously, before Claire could respond. "Really?" he asked, looking surprised,

then interested "What about me?" Claire shoot a look at Kate, forbidding her from mentioning anything

from their previous conversation. Kate ignored it. "Nothing really" She answered slyly, "Just about how

you and Claire haven't had sex." Claire shoot her another evil look. Kate and sun exchanged glances, each

holding a mischievous expression.

Charlie looked shocked and confused. _So she has noticed? Is it that obvious? _"Yeah, she was just telling us

that you've been together for a long time now and, you've still never made any moves" Kate continued, now

makeing stuff up for the purpose of torturing Claire. Charlie continued to look confused and slightly

uncomfortable. "And how she can't wait until you do" Kate added triumphantly. Sun looked from one

person to the next, trying her hardest not to laugh. "I never said that" Claire noted, learning at Kate. "Are

you calling me a liar?" Kate questioned, pretending to look innocent. "Yes" Claire confirmed. Kate opened

her mouth to respond, but couldn't think of anything. Instead, she began giggling. Sun joined in, unable to

hold it any longer. Claire glanced at Charlie wearily, feeling quite awkward at the moment. Charlie was

completely bewildered. He turned to her, eye brows scrunched low, and opened his mouth to spoke. Then

shut it again, and looked back at the whaling with laughter. Then once again at Claire. "Women" She

shrugged, unable to give him much of an explanation. Charlie nodded in simple agreement. _Silly girls._

The sky was pitch black. No stars, no moon, just black. The fire sparkled brightly in the near distance where

Boone, Shannon, Walt, Michael and hurly sat, talking amongst themselves. Charlie and Claire sat just

outside their little tent infront of their own privet fire. "Dose that hurt?" she asked, poking at one of the

fadded bruise on the back of his shoulder. "Not really" he answered scurfily, "Just sore." he had almost

fallen asleep in the last couple of minutes. Claire kneeled behind him, rubbing his shoulders and the back of

his neck. He'd been aching all day, and the simplest things made them hurt even worse. One wrong turn may

have had him temporarily paralyzed. But now he was relaxed, every muscle pain melting away with the

movement of her hands. Claire looked off into the distance where Sowyer sat inside his tent With been

plopped on top his chest, holding the book "Watership Down" in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other as

he read aloud. "Are you sure leaving Ben with him is a good idea?" She asked skeptically. "Sure, he's

harmless. Besides, who else could teach our son every curse word in the English language?" Charlie joked

playfully. Claire laughed. "Hell, he probably know a couple in Spanish two" he added, glancing over his

shoulder at her to catch another glimpse of her majestic smile. He white teeth showed brighter at night,

makeing her appear almost angelic. "Are you sure that's who he's getting it from?" she asked accusingly,

running her fingers through his fluffy little strands of hair that curled up off the back of his neck. "What's

that?" he asked, pretending to not have a clue what she was talking about. "Oh nothing" she said with a sly

grin. "What did he say?" Charlie asked, looking slightly amused. "According to Shannon, he's been dropping

the f-boom left and right" Claire explained conspicuously, continuing to play with his hair. "Well, according

to Kate you've been drooling about me for the past few months" he replied smartly, trying to hide his

prideful grin. "What's that suppose to mean?" she asked, raising an eye brow at him. "It means your friends

are liars" he explained teasingly. Claire smiled and slapped his shoulder playfully. "Maybe I have been

drooling over you for the past few months" She protested, matter-of-fact-ly. Charlie snickered as her dug his

bare toes deeper into the sand. It was starting to get a little chilly as the breeze came by. Pretty soon he'd

have to go add some wood to the fire. "What?"Claire asked, as if she had been offended. "Your not the

drooling type" Charlie explained. "I, on the other hand..." Claire laughed, and rested her forehead agenst the

back of his. Her hands curled around his shoulders. A loud burst of laughter erupted from the fire. Both

looked over to see Shannon cracking up obnoxiously at something Hurly had said towards Boone. Soon, a

couple of others began to laugh as well. Even Boone cracked a smile at his own expenses, shacking his head

as if he wert offended. Walt didn't laugh, instead he continued to stare at the fire with a looked of boredom.

Petting Vincent on the head as he panted beside him. "Poor kid" Charlie noted, looking over at the group.

"Yeah. Must be tuft for him living on this island with no one his age" Claire agreed. Charlie shifted

downward so that the back of his head rested on her lap and linked his fingers at the back of his neck. "I

wonder if Ben will be scared for life after living here" she said openly, talking to the space infront of her.

"Nah. He'll be fine" Charlie assured, looking up at her. "How do you know?" she asked, peering back down

at him with a half smile. "Because, they say it takes a tribe. And he's got a family of forty odd persons.

Makes a damn good tribe." He explained. Claire smiled down at him, resting her hand across his forehead.

He rolled his head around, trying to crack his neck. His eyes slid shut. He looked exhausted. Claire continued

to play with his hair as she drifted off in her head.

"_Um, excuse me" Claire said shyly, standing before the counter with a shinny duffle bag flung over her _

_shoulder and a plain ticket in hand. "Yes, may I help you?" a dark haired woman behind the counter asked _

_politely. "Yes, its my first time flying. Ever. And I'm a little confused" she admitted, slightly embarrassed. _

"_No problem. I'll send someone over to assist you in just a moment. For now, just take a seat over there and _

_relax" the women suggested, pointing to a few rows of benches not far from the counter. "Thank you" _

_Claire said appreciatively and headed over to the seat. She plopped down, exhausted, and let the bag roll of _

_her shoulder. She gave a little huff and rested her hand on her over grown stomach. From inside, she could _

_feel the baby kicking around. The same baby that had been growing inside her for the past eight months. It _

_was a part of her. Her child, and now she had to give him away. She couldn't do it once, and nothing had _

_changed since then. What am I doing? She asked herself as she stared down at her rounded stomach. This _

_will never work. She glanced over at the women from the counter, who had not yet found some one to assist _

_her. She seemed busy with another customer who was arguing with her rather loudly at the head of the line. _

_Slowly, she lifted herself back out of the chair, pulling the bag back over her shoulder. She began walking _

_back down the hall she had just came from, moving quickly as she were running from something. She brushed past person after person in the bright, crowded halls until she stopped suddenly, her breath caught in her _

_through. A few yards a head of her, stareing up at the schedule boards was a man she thought she'd never see _

_again. My god, what is he doing here? She thought as she stood in shock, stareing at Thomas as he squinted _

_upward. She couldn't breath. What if he know's I'm here? Oh god, please don't let him be looking for me. _

"_Excuse" a voice called from behind her. Claire gasped, startled back into reality. She turned to the person _

_who had addressed her. Another dark haired women in a blue pants suit stood before her. "Claire is it?" the _

_woman asked cheerfully, reading of ticket Claire had given to the other women. Claire didn't respond, she _

_was still panicking. "I was told this is your first flight and your looking for some assistance" the woman _

_explained with a phony smile after Claire had said nothing. Once again, the question didn't register. Claire _

_looked back over to where Thomas had been standing. He remained in the same place until a women _

_approached. She was tall, thin and tan with straight hair as blond as hers. He turned and smiled at the _

_women, mouthing the word 'hello' as he linked her arm in his. Claire's eyes grew wide. "Ma'am?" the _

_women said, giving her a worried look. Claire snapped out of it once again and turned to her. "Yes" she said _

_sweetly, slightly embarrassed by her absent mindedness. "Yes. Its my first flight" she elaborated, focusing _

_once again. "I bet you're a little nervous" the women said, makeing her own explanation for Claire's _

_detachment. "Yeah" she sighed with a bit of a laugh. "Well, don't worry. Flighting is completely safe. Just _

_follow me" the women, who's name tag read 'Jain', suggested. Claire followed her over to a line at the _

_security check. There was about six people ahead of her. "So, how far are you do?" Jain asked, indicating to _

_her oversized belly. "Eight months" Claire said with a smile, moving her hand in a circular motion across her _

_stomach. "You checked with your doctor before coming, correct?" the women questioned. "Yes" Claire _

_nodded, lieing through her teeth. She hadn't had time to get checked up. She barely even had time to pack. _

_The line moved forward and Claire stepped up along with it. The baby was kicking again, and a loving smile _

_spread across her face as she stared downward. "For Christ sakes!" a man groaned up ahead after he'd set of _

_the alarms. "Do you have any watches, keys, rings on you?" one of the male gard asked, approaching the _

_young man. "Yeah, here"he replied softly, twisting a ring from his finger. He removed to more from his _

_other hand plus a wrist watch and dropped them into the tin pan. "Please step through the again" the gard _

_instructed. "Yeah, yeah" he grumbled, walking back out, then turning and stepping through again. Another _

_buzzer went off. He rolled his eyes and sighed angrily. "Please, hold out your arms, sir" another gard said as _

_he came forward with a hand-hailed mettle detected. The young man watched him awkwardly as he moved _

_the contraption around the perimeter of his body. It didn't go off. "Please step aside, sir" the gard asked, _

_taking his luggage. The man scratched the back of his cull as he moved out of the way. The next person went _

_through without setting anything off. Claire tried to watched the young man as he stood fidgeting _

_off to the side while the gauds searched his bags. He had his hood pulled over his head, makeing his _

_face invisible from her view. "Something in their set it off" Jain assured, mistaking the _

_blank expression on Claire's face for worry. Claire nodded, and smiled slightly. The line moved forward _

_quickly. She handed her bag to the man at the side so he could send it through the machine and stepped _

_through the large matric rectangle. A low buzz rang out. "Do you have any watches, keys or rings?" the _

_previous gard questioned just as he had with the young man. Claire removed her rings and dropped them in _

_the pan, then turned to walk through the detector again. Again, it buzzed, and the second gard came with the _

_mini version. Claire stood uncomfortably as he moved the detector around her. It didn't go off. "To the side _

_ma'am" he said, but she had already gone over. "Some job their doing" the young man standing beside her _

_grumbled. "Oh, I'm sure lots of Pregnet women carry dangerous weapons onto plains. They have to be extra _

_carefully" she said sarcastically. He laughed from beneath his hood. "Ma'am" one of the guards addressed. _

_She walked over. "Sorry for the inconvenience, your free to go." the gard said, handing her bag. She pulled it _

_over her shoulder and began walking, and nearly tripped over the man who had knelt down infront of her. _

"_Sorry" she apologized, stepping back. "No problem" he said with a bit of delay. When he looked up at her _

_to speak, his hood fell back. Shaggy blond-brown hair tossed about on his head, bangs hanging down _

_to one side. Smiling slight as he stared up at her with intense blue eyes. Something about him seemed _

_strangely familiar. She shook her head and continued walking. Jain helped her find the proper seat on the plain _

_and she took her bags. Claire leaned back in her seat an closed her eyes. Thank god he didn't see me, she _

_thought, as she rested her head back agenst the seat. She dozed off before they even lifted off the ground. _

_Although she had only left Sydney once, she had never been nervous on plains. That is, until the turbulence _

_started. She awoke to a heavy shake as the flight attendant came on the speak and told every one to stay calm _

_and buckle up. Claire pulled on her seat belt and settled back down, stareing out her window at the clouds. _

_Suddenly, from beside her she heard a short cough, like some one clearing their through. The seat had been _

_empty when she fell asleep. "Thomas?" she gasped, surprised to see him of all people sitting beside her. _

"_Claire liston-" he began to say, placing his hand on hers. "What are you doing here?!" she demanded in a _

_angry but soft voice, leering at him aggressively. "I came back looking for you. Magen told me you were _

_leaving-" he tried to explain. The plane shook wildly. Claire turned away from him. The movement caused the _

_baby to move, and she felt a hard thump in her stomach. "Are you alright?" he asked, cupping his hand over _

_hers. "Fine" she grumbled defensively. "Claire-" he started up again, but before another would came out, the _

_engine collapsed. The entire plane shook. Bags fell from the ceiling. Those who ignored the seat belt sign flew _

_up in a split second. Crashes and roaring, booming, indescribable sounds along with screams as the end of the _

_plain broke of. Claire held her stomach, eyes wide with panic. The plain disappeared. The screams, the chaos, _

_Thomas, all gone. Only her and her unborn baby remained. _


	19. Magic

Disclaimer: Well, her's the next chapter. Sixteen pages according to word perfect, but not a whole lot of action. This is a mussy, romantic type. You've been warned. Once again, I've reach an awkward position in my wrighting. Obviously, in the last couple chapters the topic of sex has come up. Don't expect anything to descriptive if I do chose to include it, but I'd like to know if any one is completely apposed to the idea. The last thing I want is to lose a reader. So please, when you update let me know what you think. I'm going to have this repeated at the bottom of the page, so more people will read it.

FATE

Magic

Alatariel10: Sorry about your computer, mine dose that all the time. Sorry to keep you waiting.

A few months past, Ben started walking, Kate and Jack continued flirting. The island regained its

domestic feel. Little disturbed the survivors except for little things like clean cloths and being sick

of nothing but bore and fruit day after day. But besides that, things were fine.

Claire's eyes flickered open. She had been fast asleep only a moment ago. She lied still for a

moment, allowing her eyes to adjust as she slowly came to. Once awake, she realized exactly what

had woken her. From out side, loud moaning and yelling erupted once again from their

neighboring tent. Jack and Kate, at it again. And again. And again. She stared at the wall before

her for a moment, preparing her self for a long, long night without sleep. And the fact that she'd

have to spend it listening to the marvelous vocals of Jack and Kate didn't make the siltation any

better. She screeched a bit and slowly sat up. Letting out a huge yawn as she looked to her side

where Charlie normally slept. But there was no Charlie or Ben to be sceen. From outside, almost

inaudible beneath the groaning and wailing, she could hear the soft sound of a guitar. She pulled

herself to her feet and wondered over to the open tent flap, listening to Charlie play. He sat Indian

style on the sand before the fire, with the guitar in his lap, across from him, Shannon sat with her

legs curled up beside her, leaning her head agenst Sowyer, who seemed not to notice, as he was

watching Ben bouncing to the music happily infront of him. Beside Sowyer was Hurly, listening

quietly, and Boone to his right. Sayid was sitting at a slightly higher level behind the row, on top a

piece of wreckage listening as well. Off in the near distance, Michael sat outside his tent on top a

metal box, listening as he rest his hand on Walt, who remained asleep beside him beneath and air

line blanket, not phased by the vigorous activities occurring in Jack and Kate's tent. Farther back

from them, she noticed Sun standing outside her tent alone, watching with a faint smile. Jin was no

where to bee seen, probably some where inside. She stepped out from the door way and took a seat

beside Charlie. He looked up at her and smiled, continuing to play. She looked over, noticering

Locke at her side. She hadn't been able to see him from where he was standing before. Charlie

finished after a moment, and every one clapped, heven Ben, who yelled out "Da!" at the end. Ever

one laughed. Charlie grinned as he lay his guitar to the side and lifted Ben high over his head before

plopping him back down on his lap. "Alright, who's next?" he asked as Ben stood on his leg,

bouncing excitedly as he gripped a clump of Charlie's hair for support. No one responded. "Ho

come on! I know I'm not the only pour soul on this island who can play a sodding guitar" he

insisted, looking from person to person. "I would, but my ass is asleep" Sowyer announced with a

smirk. Every one laughed, including his enemy who sat directly behind him. "Well, you don't need

your ass to play" Charlie said jokenly as he handed him the guitar. Sowyer sighed modestly, and laid

it across his lap. Charlie slid his arm around Claire's back as they listened to a familiar song. She

laid her head agenst his as she placed her hand on Ben's little shoulder.

"That's all folks" Sowyer announced once he finished, laying the guitar down before him. He pulled

himself to his feet, brushing off his geans as he headed back to his tent. The others began to rise and

stir as well. No longer able to stay awake. Jack and Kate's gala continued as they spread of back to

their tents to try and block them out. "your really good" Claire said, turning to face Charlie with a

sweet smile. "Thanks" he shrugged modestly, blushing a little as she smiled. Charlie was a man who

rarely acted shy, so this was quite adorable. She leaned over and kissed him on his stubby cheek.

"My god, do they ever stop?" she gowned after a moment, looking in the direction of the tent

across from them. "No, I think they might be robots" he answered jokenly. "Even robots need to

charge up every once and a while" Claire continued the joke. Charlie laughed. "Oh well, let them

fuck. Get it out of their system for a bit" He said casual, with a hint of a smile. "Charlie" Claire

scolded, giving him a playful slap on the arm. "What?" he asked, not understanding what he did.

She gave him a look, indicating to Ben who sat in his own little world, completely out of their

conversation. He still didn't seem to catch on. "You just said the...f word" Claire explained, trying

not to attract any attention from the four month old on his lap. Charlie couldn't help but laugh.

"The f word?" he teased with a huge grin. "Shut up" she replied, shaking her head. "So what, you

don't use the 'f word'?" he asked jokenly, obviously amusing himself. "Not around my son" she

replied smartly. "Why not? Its not a _bad_ thing. People do it all the time. People are doing it right

now! And if he can hear that, then he can surely hear the word that describes it!" Charlie protested,

giving a few wild gestures, as he did when ever he got excited. "I know..."Claire replied, he still

wasn't getting it. "Well then what's the problem?" He asked. "Well...nothing, I guess" she

answered after a moment. He had made a good argument. "Come on, I want to here you say it" He

said, shifting to turn to her. "Say what?" she asked, pretending to be confused. "The f word" he

replied teasingly. "No" she declined, looking away. "Come on" he insisted, leaning closer to her.

"No" she repeated playfully, beginning to blush. "Please" he begged, fakeing a pout. Claire sighed

in surrender. "fine" she grumbled. He stared at her impatiently, leaning in very close. "Fuck" she s

said finally, with a look of accomplishment. "See? If you act like it's a normal word, he won't want

to say it so much" Charlie explained in a whisper. Ben began giggling at something, turning both

their attention's to him. A little butterfly happened to be floating about a few feet before them.

Claire's smile returned, her eyes lit up just like a kids. It was a dark, majestic blue with lighter blue

and black swirls whirling across its wings. "Wow," Claire sighed, leaning back agenst Charlie's

shoulder as she watched it fly to the next tent. "There really is beauty on this island." Charlie looked

at her and smiled, feeling completely in love with her. "No kidding."

The next morning, Kate found her self walking across the sand with Ben in her arms. He had been

crying when she woke up. Charlie was awake, trying to calm him down when she staggered to the

tent to see what was going on. Her legs remained sore, as did everything else after her nights

activities. Because Charlie appeared helpless and excused as he made week attempts at rocking him

or trying to make him laugh, Kate decided to take him to get some food, and let poor Charlie get

some rest. She Got some bananas from their storage tent where they'd kept all the food, far from

any of the fires so it would stay cool. Ben ate for a while and then calmed down. Returning to his

usual, simple fascination. Claire saw Sayid sitting on the rocks near the watter as she headed back

to the tents and decided to join him, curious of what he was working on now. "Hey" She said,

brushing her loose strands back behind her ear as she slowly lowered herself onto the rocks. Ben

clung to the sleeves of her shirt, able to hang on in just about any situation. Sayid glanced up and

gave a some what suggestive smile. "Good morning" he said slyly after a moment. Kate rolled her

eyes as she began to blush. "What's all this?" she asked, quickly changing the subject as she noticed

the little device he seemed to be working on. "You'll see" he replied secretively. Kate gave him a

playfully skeptical look, then shrugged and shifted Ben on her lap. He reached out and grabbed at

the little mechanic in Sayid's hand. He smiled over at him and allowed him to play with it, so it

apparently wasn't anything dangerous. Ben examined it for a moment, and decided he was pleased.

He grinned and his eye lighting up brightly to show it. "He has his mother's eyes"

Sayid noted, looking back at the big, icy blue ones stareing back at him. "Yeah" Kate agreed,

leaning over to look at him. Ben had a look of all on his face. He was so easily amused. His grin

widened and his head titled to the side, as he continued to study the new device. "But when he has

that expression, he looks just like Charlie" Kate laughed, brushing back his duck-fluff hair. "How

are they doing?" Sayid asked, giving a glance over at their tent. "Sleeping." Kate confirmed, "poor

kids." Sayid sat the device down on the rock. "Why's that?" he asked curiously. "Nothing.." Kate

stopped herself before she started spreading their business. "They haven't done it yet" Shannon did

the favor for them as she approached them from behind. "Hi Ben" she said joyful, smiling down.

"Sho" he grinned, reaching out his arms for her to pick him up. "Soh. Well, were half way there"

she teased, lifting him up into her arms. "Really?" Sayid questioned, looking once again back at the

tent. "I know" Kate sighed, stareing back in the same direction."What is wrong with them?"

Shannon was bouncing Ben on her hip as a smile crossed her face. "Yeah. You seem to have _no_

problem with it" She teased evil. "Very funny" Kate sighed with embarrassment. "Well. I think im

going to go find some food" Sayid announced as he stood, gathering up all the little gadgets. "By"

ben cooed as he walked away. Sayid glanced back with a smile, and continued walking. Shannon

climbed onto the rock and threw her bare legs over the other side. "So, what are we going to do

about this?" she asked conspicuously. "About what?" Kate questioned, rasing an eye brow at her.

"Charlie and Claire" she answered through her teeth, so Ben did not catch on. "I don't think theres

much we can do" Kate replied. "Well we have to do something. I mean, come on. We've been here

for five months and all they've done is stand around all lovely dovey. That is, when their not getting

their selves killed. Don't you think its time they should, you know. Kick it up a notch?" Shannon

ranted passionately. Kate gave her an amused look. "Well yeah, but its not our choice. Maybe their

just not ready" Kate suggested with a shrug, looking out at the ocean. "Not ready? Bull shit! Five

months, Kate. Five whole months of flirting, and kissing and sleeping side by side. How could they

not be ready?" Shannon was determined, and she was trying her best to bring Kate into her

insanity."you have a point" Kate sighed in agreement. "Yeah. So what do we do about it?" Shannon

insisted. "I don't know" Kate shrugged. They both sat for a moment, thinking. "What if we set

something up?" Shannon suggested. "Like what?" Kate asked in return. She thought for another

moment. "What's going on?" Sun asked, standing behind them. Taking some time off while her

husband slept. For a while she was free. "Trying to figure out how to set up Charlie and Claire"

Shannon answered, scooting over so she could sit down. "Like a...date?" Sun asked, thinking for a

moment so she could remember the word. "Yeah." Shannon nodded, "they really need to get laid."

Sun laughed, that was a word Shannon had taught her early on. "This is hard" Kate sighed, leaning

back on the palms of her hands as they rested agenst the rocks. She remembered Sayid for a

moment, and the devices he had been working on. Then she remembered when she was in high

school, and her and one of her ex's had watched fire works. Suddenly, it hit her. "Sayid!" she

yelled, calling out for him. He was a good distance away, but still managed to hear her. "What are

you doing?" Shannon questioned, as he turned and began to make his way back. "I think I have an

idea" Kate explained conspicuously. Sayid stopped infront of the three. "Are those fire works" Kate

asked promptly. "...perhaps" Sayid smiled. They were. "Good" Kate said with a sly little grin,

turning back to the girls. "What are you thinking?" Shannon asked, trying hard to hide her

excitement.

"Hey, Charlie" Kate called from the doorway. Charlie's eye slowly flickered open. He squinted up

at her sleepily. "Morning" she grinned, "come here." He closed his eyes back shut, not yet adjusted

to the bright light she was letting in through the door. He pulled himself up slowly, hair tossed

wildly about his head and walked over to her. He followed her out side as she walked in some

random direction. "Where are we going" he groaned softly, still extremely tired. His eyes were

barley opened and he walked extremely slow. "Ben's crying. I think he wants you" She replied,

pulling the idea straight from her ass. Shannon sat at the extinguished fire at her tent beside sun,

Holding ben across her lap. He wasn't crying at all, instead he grinned up when he was Charlie s

standing before him. "See" Kate said, indicating to his grin. "Stops crying soon as you get over

here." Charlie lifted him up into his arms and held him to one side. "You know" Shannon sayid, as

she stood, "he looks a lot like you." Charlie looked at her from beneath heavy eye lids. "Hows

that?" he asked, knowing that Ben had none of his inherent features. "Just the way his hair sits and

the faces he makes" She replied, brushing back Ben's fluffily bold strands that hung over his face to

one side. "Even his hair looks like yours" She added with a smile, glaceing up at him. Charlie gave

her a questioning look. _Oh, so my hair looks like a four month olds that stands straight up and flies _

_all over the place? Thanks!_ Shannon sighed, trying to think of something else to say, anything to

keep his attention. "So, Charlie. Your pretty good with the whole guitar thing" She complemented,

smiling as sweetly as possible. It didn't work for her, she looked a little crazy. "Yeah, well. I was in

a band" He replied shyly, brushing his hair down. "Really?" She asked, showing interest. Pretending

that she hadn't already known. "What band?" she asked, crossing her arms over her stomach.

"Drive shaft" he answered modestly, secretly wondering why she was so interested. "Wow" she

said, nodding, maintaining her smile. "Were you guys famous?" she continued to question. "Mildly"

he replied with a bit of a shrug. Ben was begging to wiggle, he wanted down. Charlie kneaded

down and let him crawl about on the sand. Shannon sat back on a log that lined their tent. "I've

herd of them" Kate chimed in, sitting down beside her. "You guys were great" She complimented

with a little smile. "Thanks" Charlie replied, watching Ben move about across the sand. Thinking

about the band brought up bad memories. He wished they'd change the subject. "So, hows

everything going with Claire?" Kate asked. "She's sleeping" he replied, shooting a look at Kate,

who was the cause of both keeping Claire up all last night, and waking him up this morning. "I

mean, relationship wise" She replied, ignoring his little threat glare. "Fine" He answered shortly,

eying her strangely. _Why dose she want to know? _"Just fine?" She continued. _What the hell is going _

_on? _He thought as he continued to look at her with confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked

slowly, giving a glance at Shannon who was listening with full alertness. "Well you just said fine. I

wanted to make sure nothing was wrong." She explained. "Nothings wrong" he replied, completely

bewildered. _Women are weird, but not this weird. _"You sure?" Shannon asked, mimicking Kate's

expression. "Positive" he confirmed, now giving them both a strange look. "What's with the

integration? Did Claire say something?" He began to worry. If Claire was have doubts about them,

they'd be the ones she'd tell. "No, not at all" Shannon said quickly, so he didn't panic. He gave a

little sigh of relief. Thank god. But then, why are they asking all these questions. "So what's with

the interrogation?" He questioned, trying not to sound defensive. "No reason, really. We're just

curious. Claire doesn't talk about the whole couple thing, we were hoping we could get some info

from you" Kate explained, telling that Shannon was stumped for words. "Like what?" he asked,

allowing Ben to crawl into his lap. "Nothing in particular. Just wondering where your at in the

relationship" Kate explained, waiting patently for his response. _What in the sam hell is she going _

_on about?_ "I don't get it" he admitted, aimlessly confused. "Sexually" she said shortly, cutting to

the point. Charlie blinked, taken away by the statement. "I don't think that's any of your business"

He replied sharply. Kate sighed, and looked over at Shannon. This would be harder than she

thought. She turned back to him then and gave a gentle smile, hoping the boys were makeing better

progress.

"Hey, Claire. Can I talk to you for a second" Jack said, calling to Claire from his tent. She had

woken up only a moment ago. Charlie and Ben both gone. She had gone out to find them, but was

drawn off corse by Jack's call. "Sure" she said, walking over to him. "I know I gave Ben a check up

some time ago to make sure every thing was alright, but I never really talked with you" he

explained. She noticed, once she got over there that he was not alone. To his left, sat Sayid, to his

right was Sowyer, trying to hide a devious smirk. "I'm fine" She assured brightly, though feeling a

bit uncomfortable. "Are you sure? You haven't felt dizzy, or sick?" he questioned in his medical

tone. "No" she answered, shaking her head. "Alright. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't neglecting

the mother" Jack said with a smile. Claire smiled back, and wondered if she was being dismissed.

"How is Charlie healing?" he asked, just as she were about to get up. _Nope, not yet_, she thought as

she sat right back down. "Good, I think" She answered, maintaining her friendly smile. "You

think?" Jack questioned. "Well, I haven't really checked" she explained freely. The three gave each

other a few glances before turning back to her. "Why not?" Sowyer asked promptly. Both Jack and

Sayid shot him a threatening look. Claire looked a bit confused. "I'm sorry?" she said, not really

understanding what he meant. "Well I mean, normally when I have sex I tent to look at people" He

explained casually. Jack put his head in his hands, looking terribly stressed. Claire's mouth hung

open, not knowing what to say. "You've been talking to Kate haven't you?" she accused, shaking

her head. "Well..." Jack said nervously. "This is unbelievable" she muttered, shaking her head.

"Look, Claire. Where just trying to help" Jack tried to explain. But it was to late, Claire had already

gotten up and began walking away.

"Claire" Charlie said, looking up at the women standing before him. He sat on the rocks near the

edge of the water looking out at the ocean as the sun began to set. He smiled, and scooted over so

that she could sit down. She sat beside him with her legs curled to the side. "So what are you

doing?" She asked, after getting situated. "Thinking" he replied, continuing to look out at the sky.

"About?" she questioned brightly. "Well, you see, theres this girl a met not to long ago" He began

jokenly. Claire laughed as he went on. "She's really nice, very sweet, not to mention bloody

gorgeous" He flashed a smile at her. "Go on" she instructed, trying to hold back her own smile.

"Well, we've spent the best and worst of the last five months together. And even though I've gotten

hurt numerous times, and I have to spend each day in tremendous heat surrounded by sand fleas, its

been the best few months of my life" he explained, the joking tone of his voice fadded as he stared

back at her, looking her straight in the eye. He was now being completely serious, but maintained a

faint smile. Claire blushed, and had to look away for a moment to escape the intensity of his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure I'm in love with her" the joking came back as he leaned back on the palm of his

hands, smiling at her. Claire laughed a little, still blushing and extremely embarrassed. "Ok, now

your turn" he said playfully, sitting up straight. "What about this Charlie guy I've been hearing

about?" he continued teasingly. "Well...."Claire said slowly, trying to think. "He's veery...sweet"

she said finally, acting as if she couldn't think of any nice things. "I said that one!" he acted as if he

were offended, then shook his head sarcastically. "Go on." Claire grinned, satisfied with her

approach. "He's also very funny, brave," she listed, looking up at the sky as she spoke. "Not to

mention a nice piece of ass" Charlie added conceitedly. Claire broke into laughter. Suddenly, before

Claire could continued, a loud whistling sound shot out from over by the tents. Both looked over as

the little rocket set off into the sky and disappeared for a silent moment, the burst into a thousand

little sparks. "Well, I guess its about that time of the year" Charlie shrugged, once the sparks

fadded. "What time of the year?" Claire asked, having no idea what he was talking about. "Forth of

July" he answered, assuming that would explain it. But Claire still looked confused. "Its an

American thing" he explained with a shrug, after he remembered she was Australian. "Oh..." she

nodded, pretending to understand. Another whistle sounded and more fire works erupted through

the sky. "It's a holiday, something about the first day when Spain took over I think. I don't know.

But every year a bunch of people get drunk, go to a beach of a cook out or something and watch

fire works and set of bottle rockets and shit." He explained. Claire giggled. "Only America would

celebrate the founding of their country by blowing up a small part of it" she stated, looking up at

the blaze of red sparks fading agenst the dark sky. "Hippie" he muttered. Claire nudged him

playfully. Another one went of, this one had more of a blueish color to it. "Well, Ben seems to like

them" She noted, looking over at where him and Shannon sat. He had a huge grin on his face.

"Yeah, he had that same look last week when he saw a frog on a leaf" Charlie explained jokenly.

Claire tried not to laugh. "Yeah, he's a little bit of hell since you got him walking" Claire agreed,

giving Charlie a little glare. "Excuse me, you're the one he was walking to" Charlie reminded

defensively. Claire laughed. "So tell me, what dose fire works have to do with the "founding of

America?" She asked, stareing up at the sparks shooting across the sky. "Nothing really. Red necks

and yanks enjoy watching things blow up, so that might have something to do with it" He explained

sarchasticly. "And you know this because-?" Claire questioned, turning her attention back to him.

"My family lived in New York for two years when I was younger. We were only there for one

summer, but I saw a lot of red necks and they seemed to enjoy it a hell of a lot" he explained. Claire

couldn't help but laugh. "And did you?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "Nah, not really. I'm

not much of a summer person. To hot. I prefer winter" He answered casually, talking to the space

infront of him. "Why's that?" Claire questioned as she changed her position. she now faced him,

with her knees pulled up to her chest, exposing her bare calves from underneath the think whit

broom skirt she was wearing. Charlie noticed this and for a moment, for got what he was saying.

He shook his head and it returned to him. "Well that's around Christmas I guess. You know,

presents, trees, reindeers, my birthday, so even more presents" He listed, stopping when ever Claire laughed.

"Sagittarius" she muttered, stareing her head in the same fashion he did when calling her a hippie.

Charlie laughed, and went on. "And of chorse, the best part. Snow." she smiled when he said it,

remembering how much he missed being in a cold atmosphere. "I'd prefer frost bite over sun burn

any day" he added. "I've never seen snow" Claire explained, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"You haven't?" he asked, a slight look of amazement on his face. "Nope," She shook her head, "I

grew up in Sydney. Instead of snow, we have sand. Instead of a Christmas tree, we have palm trees

and the closet thing we have to a reindeer is a kangaroo" She explained with a bit of a laugh.

"Wow, that's awful" Charlie sympathized, looking rather thoughtful. "But you still get presents

right?" Claire laughed, and nodded yes. He smiled. "Good, atleast its not a total loss. When we get

off this rock, I'll take you to England, show you a real Christmas" He offered, smiling dreamily.

"Sounds like a plan" Claire agreed. Charlie thought for a moment. "You know what? Scratch the

snow crap. The best part about Christmas is the food" he exclaimed out of know where. "Oh good,

don't start that again!" She teased, laying her head across her arms. To late, his mind was on food.

"Turkey, Chicken, ham, mash potatoes, corn bread, biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, hot coco,

peanut butter fudge-" he found a weak spot. "Mmm, peanut butter" Claire moaned, remembering

the taste. She felt her stomach growl. "You ok?" he asked, eying her strangely as she stared down

at her stomach. "Yeah, just hungry. Thanks to you" She said a little resentfully. "Well, in that case I

suppose it'll be my job to go get you some food" he suggested, slowly pushing off the rock. Damn

straight" She replied playfully.

Charlie made his way over to where a couple of the guys sat around the fire where the boar was

being cooked. "Hey, Charlie!" Jack announced cheerfully when he saw him approach. He staggered

to his feet and gave him a great big hug. Charlie stood still, caught of gard my Jack's sudden

friendliness. Locke, Sayid and Michael all laughed. "Hey...Jack" Charlie said uncomfortably, trying

to wiggle his way out of the hug. Jack let go and plopped back in his place. "So, how's the food

coming along?" he asked, quickly changing the subject. "Almost ready" Locke answered, continuing

to medal with the meal. "Well then...I'll just go, uh" Charlie babbled, trying to find an escape. "No!

Come on! Sit down, have a drink" Jack slurred, holding his own plastic cup high. "Uh...no thanks.

I'm staying sober" Charlie replied as politely as possible. "Aw, who cares? Sit anyways" he insisted.

Charlie sighed and plopped down. "So, how's the misses?" Sowyer asked, acting a little under the

influence himself. "She's...fine" he answered, wondering why every one was so interested in him and

Claire all of a sudden. "No kidding!" Sowyer hollered. Him and Jack clinked their glaces together.

Charlie thought for a moment, then realized what he was insinuating. If he were sober, Charlie might

have wanted to kick his ass, but since he was some how drunk, he decided to let it slide. Atleast for

now. "Seriously, though. You're a lucky man. You and Jack both, for being able to find someone on

this island" Michael said kindly. He held a glass in his hand, but didn't look or sound at all intoxicated.

" Thank you" Charlie said appreciatively. "Is the food ready yet?" he asked again, looking hopefully

over at Locke. "Not yet" he chuckled. Charlie frowned. "Man, I thought I was hungry" Hurly said

from over in his corner. He two was holding a little plastic glass with the brownish liquid. "Its not for

me, its for Claire. Her stomach was growling so she sent me over here to get food" Charlie explained,

looking back over at the rocks where Claire sat. "oh. She's not...Pregnet again, is she?" Hurly said,

looking a little worried. "She better not be" Charlie replied. The guys had a little laugh. "Well, it

should only be a few more minuets" Locke assured. Charlie smiled, satisfied with that responses. He

sat quietly for a moment, the silence makeing him uncomfortable as usual. He began tapping on his leg

with both hands. "Speaking of relationships, hows Kate?" Sowyer said, giving an unfocused look

towards Jack. "Good" Jack replied loudly. He looked over at her. Kate, Shannon and Sun all sat

around a little fire outside of Shannon's tent dressed in shorts and bikini tops. Expect Sun, who wore a

tank over hers so that her over protective husband wouldn't complain. All three of therm gave glance over at Jack, then burst into laughter. "Think they're talking about you, man" Boone said, giving Jack

a little nudge on the arm. He was sitting a little behind Jack and Hurly on a piece of wreckage. Jack

laughed to hide his embarrassment. He gave another look over at Kate and they made eye contact.

"Well, I know we won't bet getting much sleep tonight" Sowyer announced to the boys with a laugh,

giving Jack a slap on the back. "Here you go, Charlie" Locke said, passing him a reused paper plate

with a large sliver of pork on it, accompanied by an apple and some white grapes, witch explained the

whine that they were all drunk off of. "Alright. Well, I guess I'll be going" Charlie announced, Slowly

rising to his feet. "Aw!" the two drunks slurred in protest. Charlie shook his head and continued

walking. He was about half way their when a little voice called out. "Daddy!" Ben Called from beside

Shannon, and began running towards him. He tripped on his way over, but got up no problem. Charlie

picked him up and held him on the side of his hip. "Hey, kid. How's it going?" He asked, giving him a

little kiss on the forehead. "He's good. Spending some time with cool Aunt Kate" Kate said, smiling

up at him. "And his favorite Aunt Shannon" Shannon added playfully. Charlie laughed, and let him

back down. "Hey Ben, why don't you go get some food?" he suggested, turning him in the right

direction. Ben ran over to the guys. Charlie smiled as he watched him go, then turned to go meet

Claire. He almost got away when..."Hey, Charlie!"

Claire sat back at the rocks in the same position as before, examining her toes. She had borrowed

some nail polish from Shannon, who had a huge abundance of it in one of her hundred bags. She had

chosen a light blue, witch was now beginning to chip away. Her stomach rumbled again and she

looked back over at the tents where Charlie stood infront of the fire, talking to the girls. She still

managed to feel the heat from the fire all the way over where she sat. She shifted so that she was now

kneeling on the rocks and pulled the little rubber band off her wrist. She was in the middle of pulling

up her hair when something soft and furry landed in her lap. "Hi, Vincent" she smiled, looking down at

the furry paw that rested on her leg. He made a strange little noise as his tail began to wag. She

finished putting up her hair and gave him a little scranch behind the ears. "Vincent!" Walt called,

running up towards them. "Sorry, he's just begging for food" he apologized, trying to convinced the

dog to leave her alone. "Oh, I don't mind" she assured, as Vincent layied down infront of her, resting

his head on his lap. "Ok" Walt shrugged, and hopped up on the rocks. "Where's Charlie?" he asked,

petting Vincent on the head. "Over there, getting food" she explained. The dog's ears perked up when

he herd the word food, then laid back down. "And Ben?" Walt asked, full of questions. "Spending time

with the girls" she said, petting the starving dog as well. Walt made a little face at the word 'girls'.

"hey, you think when he's a little older I could teach him how to play catch or something?" He

suggested. "I think that's a great idea" Claire answered, smiling friendly. Another fire work went of

and the three looked up at the sky. This one was a gold color. Vincent gave a confused bark up at the

sky, then hopped up. He continued to bark upward as he ran across the beach. Claire laughed. "Well, I

better go get him" Walt said, climbing off the rocks. "By Claire" he added before running after the

crazed dog. "By" she said, giving a little wave. Vincent meet Charlie on his way over, spotted the

food in his hand and nearly nocked him over. "Vincent, no!" Walt scolded, pulling him away. Charlie

laughed as Walt tried his best to drag the dog away by the caller. He made his way over to the rocks

and sat down infront of Claire. "Dinner is severed" he announce, handing her one of the plates. She

smiled, and rested the plate in her lap. "How are the girls doing?" she asked, picking up a square of

meet with her plastic spoork. "Nosey" he grumbled, poking at his own slab of meet. She laughed.

"And the boys?" she asked, after taking the first bite. "drunk" was the answer. "And Ben?" she

questioned, looking up at him as she took another bite. "Nosey _and_ drunk" he joked. "Ah, the best of

both worlds" she laughed. "How's the food?" he asked, looking down sickly at his own plate. "Well its

not peanut butter" She sighed. "Aren't you going to eat?" she asked, looking at his untouched face.

"Nah. I'm kind of sick of boar and apples" he explained, putting his plate to the side. "Sute yourself"

She shrugged and took another bite off her fork. He watched her as she swallowed the food, looking

out at the Ocean. Her hair up in a sloppy bun, lose strands flying about her face, eyes sparkling. The

dark and light blue striped shirt she had stolen from him hanging off her shoulder on one side, and

covering most of her hands. The skirt folded up so that it only covered a small part of her legs, the

access material billowed in the wind. She was beautiful. "What?" she asked, reading the euphoric

expression on his face. "Nothing" he replied, snapping out of his daze. Looked out at the ocean.

"What?" she repeated, playful smacking his arm. He took her hand before she could pull it back and

held it in his own. He looked up at her, a spark flashed in his eye. She shook her head, showing that

she was still waiting for a response. "Dance with me" he suggested, rubbing his thumb over the top of

her hand. "There's no music" she made an excuse. "So?" he asked, hopping off the rock. "no thank

you" she said modestly. "Come on" he insisted, pulling her up by his hand. "Charlie!" she gasped,

acting shocked as he pulled her into his arms. A smile grew across his face as he pulled his arms

around her waist and began to sway. She tried not to laugh and forced herself to look away from him.

That is, until he pressed his forehead agenst hers and looked her in the eye with the same look he had

earlier when he was telling her how happy she made him and how much he loved her. Her knees went

week. She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck as he leaned in to kiss her. They swayed back

and forth slowly, holding each other as another rand of fire works went off in the distance. Charlie

hadn't understood what Locke meant when they first got on the island. He'd told him he looked into

the eye of the island and saw a miracle. But now he understood perfectly. This had to be magic.

(writer's note: I've reach an awkward position in my wrighting. Obviously, in the last couple chapters the topic of sex has come up. Don't expect anything to descriptive if I do chose to include it, but I'd like to know if any one is completely apposed to the idea. The last thing I want is to lose a reader. So please, when you update let me know what you think. Thanks!)


	20. The Perfect Moment

Disclaimer: this is my 20th chapter anniversary! So in honor of the success on my first fanfic, I plan to make this one special. 20 pages. Also, this one has more of a fan fiction type feel. I still wrote in complete sentences, but put a little more narrator expressions into it. If you catch any differences, let me know what you prefer. Thanks kids. P.S. Don't hate me for this!

**Alatariel10: I want to give you a special thanks for the extra impute. The best part of righting is knowing what your reader's think. Sorry to keep you in suspense for so long, I know how that kind of thing can drive a person crazy. I really wish I had more free time so I could update faster. But hey, winter break is on its way and its cold out side so there's not much to do but write. There's something to look forward too! Oh, and thanks for giving me a review on the chapter that got left out. Wow, this thing is getting long. Alright then, thanks again. **

FATE

The Perfect Moment

Charlie leaned back agenst the rocks, letting the breeze from the ocean hit him head on. He smiled

down at Claire who was curled up before him, using his leg as a pillow. She'd been sleeping for

about an hour. Their little dance must have warn her out. He, on the other hand was wide awake.

He felt alive, and energetic. He wanted to do something, anything. Run, jump, do a few

cartwheels before he broke something. And yet he was perfectly content with sitting still, unable

to move because he didn't want to wake her up. He rest his right hand on his thigh, the other

playing with the strands of her hair that hung over her face. Never in his life would he have ever

imagined being able to do this. Sitting still with the most beautiful women in the world sleeping

before him. "Dude" a voice whispered softly from behind him. It could be no one else but hurly.

Charlie turned to look at him over the rocks, moving as little as possible. "Its getting cold dude.

You want a blanket?" he offered, holding out one of the blue airline blankets to him. "Sure"

Charlie nodded softly, reaching out for it. Claire sat up, her eyes half closed. The messy bun on

her head falling to one side. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to wake you" Hurly apologized, still

whispering. "No, no its alright. I've been awake" she explained but was cut off by a yawn. "Ok,

well. Here" he said, once again handing him the blanket. Charlie took it over the rocks, and

plopped it in his lap. "Alright. Guess I'll leave you two alone" he said, standing up again. He

walked off as Charlie began unfolding the blanket in his lap. Claire stretched and pulled the rubber

band out of her hair, seeing that it had mostly fallen out anyways. "Were you really awake?" he

asked, glancing up at her as he continued to unfold the blanket. "Yep" she answered, pulling her

skirt back down so that it covered her knees. It had ben blown up past her hip while she was

laying there. Charlie had tried to ignore it for some time. She pulled the shirt back up to cover her

bare shoulder, growing rather cold. Charlie opened up the blanket and wrapped him around

himself first, then pulled her into his arms, wrapping it around her. She rested her head agenst his

shoulder, pulling the blanket over her legs. She felt warm instantly, feeling the heat wave off his

body as she laid agenst him. His arms remained around her, hand gently moving up and down her

arm to help warm her. Back at the tent, a loud burst of laughter broke out. Charlie shook his

head. "Who was the genius who thought of giving them alcohol?" he asked, slightly annoyed that

they had the temporarily ruin the moment. "Well, you were the one who told Jack that if you

squished up a bunch of grape with water and let them sit for a while it would turn into whine" she

said accusingly, resting her hand on his chest beneath the blanket. "oh, right" he recalled. "You

should smack me in the face for that" he suggested. "How about I smack your ass instead?" she

joked teasingly. "That'll work" he agreed with a grin. The noise from the tents had died down as

did the lights coming from the fires. Charlie looked across the rock. Only the big fire remained

and everyone seemed to be going to bed. Expect for Jack and Kate that is, who were staggering

hand in hand to the water. They began kissing wildly and Kate jumped up, wrapping her legs

around his waist. Unable to keep his balance by himself, let along with her on top of him, he

stumbled around and both of them fell into the shallow water. "They must be cold" Claire noted, as

they watched the two roll around in the water. Charlie laughed. It was like a car accident, it was

brutal, but you couldn't keep your eyes off it. Not to mention he was extremely jealous. Not of

rolling around in the water of corse, but of being able to do...what they were doing. He'd been

thinking about it even since Sowyer and him had they're little talk, and that was almost four

months ago. It seemed kind of silly that they'd be inseparable for the last year while being stuck on

the island, and he was still to shy to say anything. There had been so many times when they were

kissing or sleeping side by side when he wanted to say something, do something to make a move.

But stopped himself. The last thing he wanted to do was rush her. He assumed that is she wanted

to, when she was ready she'd let him know. Completely unaware that she was thinking the exact

same thing. So he remained in silent torture as she gave him another soft kiss good night and

nuzzled agenst his neck.

"Hey Claire" Shannon said in a sing-song voice as she walked over to the rocks. Claire looked up,

blinking agenst the sun as it hit her eyes. "Hi" she muttered softly from underneath the blankets.

Shannon sat on the rocks above her with a sweet little smile. "You look tired" She note

suggestively, watching as Claire tried to untangle herself from the blankets. "I am. I just woke up"

she replied, a bit moody as she threw the blanket across the sand in frustration. "Where's Charlie?"

Shannon asked with a smirk. "I don't know. I just woke up, remember?" Claire snapped. It was

very early, and Claire wasn't in the mood to liston to Shannon's crap or any one else's. She

stagged to her feet, holding onto the rock for support. Normally she handled Shannon and Kate and

all the other's teasing pretty well. After all, they were just trying to help. But they truly only made

things worse. The more that talked about sex, the more she thought about it. And the more she

thought about it, the more she wanted it. And yet, Charlie remained clueless. Not that she hadn't

dropped hints. She'd been trying despretly to let him know what she was feeling, but he didn't seem

to get it. She was begging to think he didn't want it. "Right." Shannon sighed. "So, did you have

fun last night?" she asked. She wasn't trying to be perverted, atleast, not at the moment. "Yeah,

actually. Did you?" Claire asked, feeling bad about snapping at her. "Yeah. Got to hang out with

my buddy some more" she said with a smile, referring to Ben. "He's acting more and more like

Charlie every day" She added. Claire nodded, she'd noticed it to. It was no surprise seeing that Ben

spent most of his time around Charlie. "Yeah" She beamed, looking around the island. _Where is _

_Charlie? _

"Hey, dude" Hurly said, carrying a milk jug full of water back from the jungle. Charlie was sitting at

the edge of the thicket, leaning back agenst a skinny tree. He'd left sometime before sunrise, after

yet another restless night. He hadn't slept in three days, unable to convince himself to think of

anything except Claire. _Its just one addiction after another with you, isn't it?_ He asked himself as he

laid back agenst the tree trunk with his eyes closed, trying to nap. He was startled out of his

thoughts when he heard Hurly speak. "Hey" he said back after a short delay, turning to see who it

was, even if Hurly was the only guy on the island who used 'dude' in every sentence. "Whatcha

doing?" Hurly asked, setting the jug down on the sand as he took a seat beside him. "Thinking"

Charlie explained, letting his head fall back agenst the bark. "Cool" Hurly nodded, failing at starting

up conversation. "You?" Charlie asked, offering his assistance. "Just getting some water. Had to

walk a freaking half mile to get it to. They need to get that shit fixed" Hurly complained. "Atleast

you don't get attacked every time you cross the border" Charlie retorted. "Yeah. That must suck"

Hurly shrugged with a laugh. "How are those bruises doing, anyway?" He asked as he twisted the

cap off the jug. "None existent" Charlie replied. Hurly stopped what he was doing to give him a

funny look. "What? You mean like...healed?" Charlie nodded in response. "Woo" Hurly sighed,

slightly impressed. "Yeah, well. Being in a band and all, you deal with a lot of bumps and bruises

from mashing and such. Your boddie kind of goes numb to it after a while and next thing you know,

they're gone" Charlie explained with elaborate hand motions. "Awesome" Hurly replied, impressed

though a little freaked out. _This Charlie kid was kind of weird at times, but hey, aren't we all? _He

tried to think of something else to say. Something that could get his interest. "How's Claire?" He

asked, assuming a guy always wants to talk about his girlfriend. _Forbidden, _he thought. "Good, I

suppose. She was asleep last time I checked" He answered instead. No use shoving problems on

other people, they've all got enough stress as it is. Besides, this was personal. "Lucky her" Hurly

huffed. "Why's that?" Charlie asked, sitting up straight. "Cause I happen to live next to the love

birds" he replied, giving an nod towards Where Jack and Kate were standing by their tent, hugging

and kissing. "Yeah, I know. Some one needs to turn a bloody hose on them" Charlie agreed. They

both laughed. "Charlie" Some one said his name. He looked up and saw Sun walking over with Ben

beside her. He spotted Charlie on the ground and made a running tackle into him. "Yeah?" Charlie

asked, looking up at her as he settled Ben into his lap. "Jack want's to talk to you" She explained.

"Alright" he replied, Setting Ben aside as he stood up and brushed the sand off his cloths. "Uh, hey,

do you mind-" he began to ask. "No, not at all dude" Hurly replied cheerfully. "Thanks, man"

Charlie said appreciatively and Headed off to where Jack now stood by himself.

"You wanted to see me?" Charlie asked, hopping up onto the table inside jack's tent. "Yeah" Jack

said in the doctor voice. _Oh, god what now? _Charlie thought, sensing Jack's serious tone. "I wanted

to see how those scars were doing. I asked Claire about it, she said she didn't know" Jack

explained, dropping a little hint. "I suppose she wouldn't..." Charlie muttered to him self, reminded

of the exact thing Jack intended for him to think about. "What was that?" Jack asked, pretending to

not catch the phrase. "Nothing" Charlie replied quickly, before Jack could even finish the sentence.

"Well?" Jack asked impatiently, referring to his original question. "Oh, uh. They're gone actually"

Charlie answered. "Gone?" Jack looked up from his clip board. Yes, he had adopted a clip board

which he used to wright down all the medical notes down. "Yeah. I heal fast, being a rock star and

all, you know" he explained. "No, I don't know" Jack confirmed, stareing at him strangely. "Oh,

well you see in the music business you deal with a lot of bumps and bruises from mossing and su-"

he started to elaborate, just as he'd done with Hurly, but realized that Jack was not paying

attention. Instead, he seemed to be looking at something outside. Charlie tilted his head see out

from the little crack left open by the flap of the door. He realized what Jack was so fascinated by,

and she stood out by the water about calve deep, wearing little more then bra and underwear. "Uh,

Jack?" he said, trying to regain his attention. "Yeah, yeah. I herd you" Jack assured, without taking

his eyes off her. "Right...." Charlie said skeptically with a roll of his eyes, before hopping down

from the table.

Seeing that the tent had two exits, he decided to take the back one, as to not disturb Jack from

his...ahem, day dreaming.

"What are you thinking about?" Shannon asked with a sneaky smile, indicating to Claire's dazed

expression. Claire smile widened, but she pretended to ignore her. "Hmm, let me guess" Shannon

continued, since Claire wasn't playing along. " He's got blondish-brown hair, intense blue eyes, a

smile that makes you want to melt-" Shannon teased, leaning back on her elbow's. "Shut up" Claire

rolled her eyes and gave her a smack on the arm. "Lets see, what else?" Shannon continued. "He's

about five seven, dresses like a VH1 reject, firm build-" she listed with a hint of sarcasm. "Don't

forget a great ass" Kate added, plopping down on the rocks between them. Claire shook her head,

pretending not to liston. "Oh come on! You can't say you haven't notice" Kate persisted playfully,

watching Claire's reaction. "Well..." Claire said suggestively. The two girls burst into laughter.

"Aww, Claire" Kate said sarchasticly in a sing-song voice. "Excuse me. I'm not the one who gave t

that wonderful- sex -on- the -beach- for- two- hours -straight- for- all -eyes- performance last night,

thank you very much" Claire retorted accusingly. Kate pretended to look shocked and offended.

"Fair enough" she shrugged after a moment. "Wow. So Claire _dose_ have a little bit of dirt on her

mind" Shannon teased, pretending to sound surprised. "Well, of corse. I mean, after all I'm not a

virgin you know" Claire said in her defense. "Could of fooled me" Kate snorted. "Oh yeah. And I

guess the fact that you first meet me with my big round oversized belly didn't give you a clue?"

Claire teased skeptically. "Hey, artificial insemination is all the rage these days" Kate retorted before

sucking on her bright pink straw that stuck out of a coconut. "Fair enough" Claire shrugged, and

nodded in agreement. "Well, its good to see you've warmed up to the whole situation" Shannon

inquired, laying on her side as she traced the lines of the rock with one glossy painted nail. "What

situation?" Claire asked, looking up suddenly. "The sex" Shannon replied, sitting up straight with a

confronting look. "Oh, don't tell me your still all...blah" Shannon said in a whiny, childish voice.

"Well, I guess the thought _has_ crossed my mind" Claire confessed with embarrassment. The two jaws

dropped. "When?!" Kate gasped dramatically. "We haven't done anything yet" Claire explained

quickly. "I know, I know. But when are you _going_ to?" Kate corrected herself. Claire shrugged as her

cheeks turned bright red. "Tonight?" Shannon questioned enthusiastically with a huge grin after

exchanging a quick glance with Kate. "I guess..." Claire said in an agreeable fashion. The two let out

a high pitch squill of excitement that made heads turn all the way across the beach. "Oh my god! This

is exiting!" Shannon was babbling, flapping her hands wildly. "Keep it down" Claire scolded in

whisper, reminding them to use their 'in door voices'. "Sorry" Shannon apologized, trying to hold in

her smile as she calmed herself down. "Wow, this is great. We have to help!" Kate suggested, more

like insisted. "Ok..." Claire replied, not to sure that was such a good idea. She stared off at the ocean

as the two began discussing what she'd wear, how she'd do her hair, where they should be and so on,

adding in random squeals after every ingenuous idea. _Oh god, why did I tell them? _

Charlie walked along the beach aimlessly with his hands shoved in his pocket. he stared at his bare

feet as they shuffled through the sand. Remembering his little tattoo, and how drunk he'd been when

Liam talked him into getting it. _"Come on man, chicks love tattoos" Liam was insisting, grabbing _

_onto his shoulders and shaking him. _"_That's not the point" Charlie protested, remaining calm _

_despite the high amount of alcohol_ _in his system. _"_Come on. What are you afraid of?" Liam tried to _

_convince,_ _letting go of him. Thank god, Charlie though, all that shaking was makeing me sick. "Well _

_first of all, tattoos are known to hurt like hell!" Charlie snapped in response. "It's on your foot for _

_Christ sake! You won't feel a thing, I promise" Liam complied persistently. "Yeah...right" Charlie _

_muttered skeptically, taking a sip out of the brown bottle in his hand. _"_Fine. If you want to act like a _

_bitch about it, go right ahead!" Liam snapped defensively, and began walking ahead of him. "Liam, _

_wait" Charlie called after him, begging to feel bad_. _Why am I being such an ass? He thought as he _

_ran to catch up with him. He layied his hand on Liam's shoulder and turned him around. "Fine, I'll get _

_the tattoo" He sighed in surrenders. "Great! Fantastic! Lets go!" Liam grinned with enthusiasm. He _

_pulled his arm around Charlie shoulder and began walking with him unsteadily down the puddled _

_sidewalk. _

"Hey, Charlie!" a voice called, snapping him out of his daze. "Huh?" he asked, looking around for the

owner of the choice. He made a complete circle before he realized where it had came from. "Over

hear" Sayid smiled, giving him a clue. "Right" Charlie said, brushing a hand trough his hair as he

walked over. "How may I help you?" he asked cheerfully, shoving his hand back in his pocket. "I'm

trying to clear some of this wreckage out of the plain. If your not busy I could use a hand" He

explained, lifting out a large piece of metal as he spoke. "No, not at all. I'd be glad to help" Charlie

offered, and began doing the same.

Claire pulled her hair up into a messy bun as she trudged in her flip flops through the forest. _I don't _

_give a damn what I'm wearing_, she thought as she walked quicky, towel hung over her arm. _But I _

_know one things for sure, I'll be clean. _She made her way to the tall rectangular shaped box

located a little while into the woods. It was a shower, made from some access shrapnel and four

bamboo sticks. A tube ran up the inside of a hollowed out tree trunk and came out through a little tin

jar with wholes poked in the flat side creating a spicate. The tube ran back a while to the creek where

they first discovered fresh water. The guys had some how managed to get the water heated, witch was

a mystery to her. All that mattered was that it was a little warm shower with a little plastic door nice

and privet in the back of the woods. Unlike Shannon and Kate, she wasn't comfortable with bathing in

her underwear on the beach for every one to see. She tossed to towel over a branch close by and

began undressing. She kicked her cloths into a little pile and slipped inside the cramped little box, and

slid the curtain shut behind her. The shower also had a square slab of steal witch served as a floor so

that you didn't have to stand in mud as you showered. The steal was icy agenst her bare feet and a

little breeze blue by that sent a chill through her body. She hurried to turn the water on. It came down

relatively warm, and she soon adjusted to the temperature. Once comfortable, she began washing.

Thinking about how much she missed baths. Nice, long warm bubble baths at the end of every day.

With scented candles and soft music, dim lights. Relaxing.

Snap! A branch broke some where near by. Claire looked up, startled by the sound. A few soft foot

steps fallowed. "Hello?" she said softly, looked around the forest with a brush of paranoia. The steps

stopped. The woods fell silent except for her own heightened breathing. Quickly, she turned the water

off and reached her arm out over to the branch, just barley able to grab her towel and pull it off. She

wrapped it around herself and tucked the top in to keep it there. Another foot step. "Hello?" she called,

stepping out of the shower. Locke appeared from the trees. He stopped in his tracks when he was he

and quickly averted his eyes and turned his back to her. "Sorry" he said in apology, keeping his eyes

shut tight. Claire gave a breath of relief. "No, no. Its alright" she assured, sounding a little choked up.

"Are you alright?" he asked, without facing her. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just, got a little scared for a

moment" she explained breathlessly as she picked up her cloths. "Why's that?" he questioned, waiting

patently. "Herd you coming. Got paranoid, I guess" she shrugged, pulling her pants on leg by leg. "I

see" he nodded his head in understanding. "So, what are you doing out here?" she asked as she

struggled to snap her bra. "Same thing you are" he answered casually. "Oh, yeah. Well I was pretty

much finished" she lied. She'd been in for no more then a minute, but after hearing those foot steps,

even if they were from Locke, she wouldn't be able to stand being out in the woods alone. Especially

not naked. "I guessed as much" Locke noted, sensing her nervous behavior. She had pulled her

oversized shirt on half way when another branch broke. She stopped abruptly and Locke turned

instinctively, paying on attention to her. She quickly pulled the shirt down the rest of the way. Another

snap, and a couple footsteps. "Did you hear that?" she said softly, her lower lip started to tremble.

She'd almost forgotten about Ethan and his insane attack on her and Charlie until now. Her hands

trembled at her side. "Yeah, I herd it" Locke answered, looking around the woods in alert. He moved

closer to Claire, standing almost back to back so that they were prepared from all angles. A few more

slowly passed footsteps before a shadowy figure appeared over head on a small rise in the ground. The

sunlight beaming in through the trees formed an sinister red glow around the black figure, who's hands dangled at his side. Locke placed a protective arm around Claries shoulders, reassuring her that she'd

be alright. He kept his eyes fixed on the faceless man. He took a small step backwards, the man didn't

move. The silence was immensely unbearable. A few more small steps before Locke took a deep breath

and said in a short, hushed voice "run."

Charlie was busy helping Sayid clear out the fusel lodge. He wipe a bead of sweat off his forehead with

the back of his hand before picking up another piece of shrapnel and tossing it to Michael, who then

tossed it to Sowyer, who tossed it to Jack, who tossed it to Jin, who was on the outside of the plain.

Then it went to Sayid, who finished the line. This system had been repeated over and over and over

through out the after noon. They had managed to dig deep into the fuselodge and were towards the

other opening. The inside was charred black and extremely dark except for a few sharp yellow lights

shining in through the small oval windows where the glass had been broken. But the light gaze little

ease to their eyes and the heat was getting trapped inside. But Charlie felt fine. It gave him time to think

some more and he was getting work done, witch he hadn't done in a while. He tossed another piece to

Michael without even looking up. As he leaned over to pick up the next piece her herd it clank to the

floor. Confused, he looked up. There in the sliver of light let in by a window he was the shrapnel lying

on the littered ground. _Where the hell did Michael go? _He thought, looking out into the darkness. It

seemed that every one else had disappeared in a matter of seconds. Curious, he stepped over the

discarded scrap of metal. and made his way out. Once he reached the opening, he hand to shield his

eyes from the bright sun. he turned his back in the opposite direction and squinted off in the direction

that every one seemed to be herding. They gathered around the edge of the forest. He walked over,

letting his arm drop to his side as he went. His cloths were covered in ash, as was the rest of him. The

other men were pretty charred up as well. He pushed his way through the crowd until he found Locke and Claire at the center. Locke was hunched over, holding onto his knees as he tried to regain his

breath. Claire had slid into the sand and now knelt on the ground. Charlie fell to her side. "Claire? Are

you alright?" he asked, cupping his hands around either side of her face. "Yeah" she coughed

breathlessly. "What happened?" he asked with a look of worry. "We saw him" Locke replied before

Claire could speak. Charlie turned his attention to him, as did every one else. "Saw who?" Kate asked

from the crowd. "Ethan" Locke answered breathlessly. "Oh god!" Charlie sighed, wrapping his arms

around her. "I'm alright" she assured, talking into his ear as she spoke, beginning to regain her breath.

Charlie wasn't convinced. She obviously wasn't hurt, atleast not physically, but the worry was

overwhelming. He pulled her closer, burring his face into her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around

his back, hands clinging to his sooty shirt.

Later that night, when the crowd had settled down, Claire passed back and forth in their tent. "Are you

sure your alright?" Charlie asked, getting slightly dizzy as he watched her move back and forth. "Yeah,

I'm just...thinking" she shrugged, tucking her arms into her oversized sleeves. She was still wearing his

shirt, the one he'd been wearing when the plain crashed. The front of it was covered in soot and dust

from when he had hugged her earlier. He gave her a skeptical look, witch soon turned into a smile. He

tugged at her leg as she passed him for the fiftieth time, pulling her onto his lap. "I love you" he said,

smiling up at her as she sat with her legs curled over his lap, her bum resting on his thigh. She smiled

brightly as her cheeks went red. "I love you" she replied, leaning her head agenst his. He rubbed his

nose agenst hers before lifting his head up to meet hers in a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his

neck, pulling him closer. He copied to motion, wrapping his right arm as far as he could around her,

gripping her side near the small of her back. His breath got caught in his throat as he began kissing her

neck. He felt her hands grip his shoulder. It became harder to breath. At first he thought it was simply

the heat of the moment, but he soon became aware that it was more than that he was nervous. His eyes

opened for a moment, involuntarily. Quickly, he shut them, trying to clear his mind, keep focused on the

wonderful thing that was going on around him. He'd never been nervous in these situations. Never.

Then again, most of the girls he'd messed around with back then were badges. If he didn't do well, then

it wouldn't matter because he'd probably never see them again. Also, normally he was to high to care.

But no it was different. He was right there, head on in the situation. And he'd see her again. If he could,

he'd see her every single day for the rest of his life. He'd spent so much time thinking about her. What

she'd be like, how amazing she'd be. He never once considered what she might think of him, witch

mattered a hell of a lot. A wave of panic crashed over him. He stopped, breathing heavily. Shocked, and

a little confused. He was sweating like crazy. He opened his eyes and meet Claire's right away. Big,

round blue eyes stareing back at him with a look of worry. _Dear god, don't make her worry. Don't upset _

_her._ He scolded himself. He though quickly. _Say something, anything._ But he couldn't speak. He could

barely even breath. So instead he smiled up at her. His only way of letting her no nothing was wrong.

Claire smiled back to reassure him, though she didn't exactly feel like smiling. _Why did he stop? _She

asked herself as she stared back at him, biting her lower lip. She was beautiful, Charlie was thinking as

he stared back at her. He could breath again. He felt his chest move in and out slowly. He didn't feel

panicked any more, atleast for the time being. _What is wrong with you? Why are you freaking out?_ He

cursed himself, leaning back on the palm of his hand so that he didn't fall over completely. He tried to

shut out his thought, focus on his breathing. Focus on her. His eyes met Claire's once again, and it

almost made him melt. _Why did you stop?_

She looked away, closing her eyes as she tilted her head as she struggled to untie the string that had been

holding heir hair up. She shifted on his lap, looking over at the other side of the room, away from him.

Now she felt uncomfortable. _It wasn't the right time_, he decided, tapping his fingers agenst the floor. _That's why you panicked, it wasn't a good moment. _He smiled, feeling a little relived now that he'd

come up with an reasonable excuse. He lifted his hand and brushed the side of her cheek. She jumped a

little at the touch, then turned to him, blushing. She slid her hand inside his and held it gently. A smile

moved across her face. "What do you want, more than anything right now" he asked, feeling obligated

to break the silence. He didn't want her to feel rejected, under any circumstances. She made an

expression that showed she was thinking. Her eyes trailed down to her shirt and his. Both covered in ash

and soot. "A bath" she answered with a smile. He smiled back, and pulled his arm around her shoulder.

Shifting her so that her back was some what agenst him. She snuggled agenst him, resting her head on

his shoulder, her arms entwined at her chest beneath the extra-long sleeves that dangled way past her

fingertips. She closed her eyes, excused from the long run he was forced to endure early that after noon.

She fell asleep in less then a minuet, as Charlie sat with her in his arms, wide awake for the forth night in

a row.

Claire opened her eyes to a bright light and quickly shut them again. She shifted, warm beneath the air

line blanket, and rolled onto her back. It was morning, and the sun was shining in through the thin white

tarp. She laid the back of her arm across her eyes to shield them from the light as she laid on her back.

Slowly, they adjusted. She stared at the ceiling for a moment before she became fully awake and sat up.

Charlie was gone once again. She slid out from under the blankets and slowly rose to her feet. She

walked out side as scratching the back of her head. Her hair felt heavy and tangled after sleeping on it all

night. Soon, she'd have to barrow a brush from someone. She yawned as soon as stepped outside. The

sand was hot after being baked beneath the sun for the last couple of hours. The men were at it again,

hauling the last bit of junk out of the fuselodge. Claire made her way to the opening and leaned agenst

the edge, squinting to see inside. It was dark, and the moving figures were hard to make out. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. "Looking for something?" Sayid asked politely. "I was looking

for Charlie" she explained, acting slightly nervous. Her hand clung to a thick lock of hair that hung over

her shoulder. "Well, you won't find him in their" Sayid told her, taking the next load from Jin without

even looking at what he was doing. "Charlie's not in there?" she asked, sound a little confused. "Nope"

Sayid replied, turning away from her for a moment as he carried the load over to the huge pile built up

right outside the opening. He dropped a small piece and Claire picked it up, fallowing behind him. "Do

you know where he is?" she asked softly, stopping behind him so as not to get in his way. He shoved the

small stack of metal on top of the pile and turned to her, dusting his hands. She held out the little scrap for

him to take. "No, I'm sorry" he said sincerely, and took the scrap from her lose grip. He tossed it into the

pile over his shoulder and continued forward. Back over to Jin, to get yet another load of twisted metal.

Claire watched him walk away, slightly disappointed. "You might want to stand some where else. Lots of

little scraps every where, not a good place to be bare foot" Sayid suggested as Jin tossed him the next

stack. "Right" Claire said, feeling a little studied. She brushed back a piece of her hair and walked

carefully away. She spotted Kate infront of her tent, pinning up cloths. "Hey, have you sceen Charlie?"

Claire asked, squinting up at her. Claire stepped down from the box she'd been using to give her some

extra height and looked back at Claire. She hadn't caught the question. Before she could ask her to repeat,

she noticed a little brownish mark on the side of Claire's neck and felt obligated to comment. "Well, what

have you been up to?" Kate inquired suggestively as she crossed her arms. Claire blinked in response,

confused. She became aware of what Kate was looking at and quickly covered it up with her hand. "Have

you sceen Charlie?" she asked, cutting straight to the subject. "Not since this morning" Kate answered,

leaning down to pick up her basket of cloths. "Well, where was he when you saw him this morning?"

Claire asked, sounding a little desperate. "The jungle, I think" Kate said, stopping from her daily chores

momentarily to try and remember. "Haven't herd from it since" she added with a little shrug, then went back to work. Claire nodded and walked away, disappointed on once again. Why dose he keep running off

like this? Just once, I'd like to wake up next to him instead of having to go out looking for him day after

day! She thought to her self as she wondered aimlessly, straight into another person. "Oh, sorry" she

apologized with a little delay, looking up at Boone standing before her. "No hard feeling's" he said with a

smile. "Have you seen Charlie?" she asked, pulling the lock of hair back over her shoulder to cover up the

hickey that stood out brilliantly on her pale neck. "No, sorry" he said with a little shrug. "Thanks" she said

appreciatively, squinting back at him. He gave her another sorry smile and continued going, a water bottle

in each hand. Once he'd moved, she noticed Locke a few feet away. He was walking from the trees with

his latest kill thrown over his shoulder. "Hey, Locke, have you sceen-" she began to ask the question for

witch seemed like the thousandth time today. "Charlie?" he finished, looking over at her. "Yeah" she

nodded, with a hopeful smile. "Yeah, I just talked to him a little ways back" He explained, unloading the

beast onto a wooden table outside his tent, witch resided only a few feet from the jungle. "Oh, great.

Where?" she asked, excited by the new ray of hope. "A little while in" he explained, but his face turned a

bit dark, like something was worrying him. "Something wrong?" Claire asked with complete concern. "I

know its none of my business to tell you what to do, but uh...I think I'd be a better idea if you stayed away

from the jungle" Locke explained as sensitively as possible. Claire nodded, understanding completely. She

caused nothing but trouble every time she stepped into that place, and she wasn't about to make the

situation worse for herself or any one else, exspeicaly since the even of yesterday. She'd just have to wait

until Charlie got back, rather she liked it or not. She began to turn and walk away when Locke spoke.

"You can help me out hear, if you like" he said in an inviting tone. She wasn't much for handling meat,

exspeicaly when still attached to the dead creature, but Locke was a nice, spiritual man. A wise man, at

that. And she could use some advice. "Sure" she said cheerfully, and made her way back over.

"Thanks. You'd be surprised how many of these brave, strapping young men squill at the sight of a dead animal" Locke said conspicuously as he began untying the boars feet. Claire giggled, she couldn't imaged

any of the guys on the beach squealing, though she'd heard the women do it may times. "So, were

you...with anybody...before the crash?" Claire asked, nervously as she followed Locke's unspoken

instructions. When working, he communicated mostly through a system of pointing, waving and other

hand gestures. He thought for a moment. "No" he answered finally, sounding as if he'd just made a

decision. Claire decided not to comment on it and continued serving her position as the meat rack. "Why

do you ask?" he questioned, seeing that she didn't respond. "No reason" she answered after a moment. She

sighed uncomfortably. Things were beginning to get awkward when Kate popped up behind her. "Hey,

Claire" She said, her words startling her. Before Claire could return the greeting Kate took hold of her arm.

"Come with me" she said in an orderly fashion, and began pulling her away. Locke made no attempt to

protest, neither did Claire, although she was a little confused.

"Where are we going?" she asked in a quiet voice as she allowed Kate to drag her through the sand. They

came to Kate's tent, witch answered her question as she was dragged inside. Kate let go of her arm and

continued to cross both over her chest as she lead agenst the beam. Shannon was sitting on a table. "So,

how did it go?" Shannon asked, unable to contain her excitement. "How did what-" Claire began to ask,

then it dawned upon her. "It didn't" she replied shortly. "What do you mean?" Shannon asked as her tone

turned shrill. "Nothing...happened" Claire said un enthusiastically. "What?!" Shannon quilled with out rage.

"I thought you said she had a hickey!" She continued, turning to Kate in a scolding manor. "She dose!"

Kate argued in her defense, gesturing towards Claire's neck where the small spot remained exposed. Claire

looked away uncomfortably. "So wait, what all happened?" Shannon interrogated, turning back to Claire.

"Well, a little happened, but not what we were...anticipating" She explained in the most innocent terms

possible. "Well why did you stop!?" Shannon scolded, giving her a little shove. "I didn't" Claire retorter in

her defense. Shannon's expression dropped and she looked bewildered, caught of gaud. "...he stopped?" she asked in a high little voice, sounding confused. Claire nodded. Shannon mouthed the word 'oh', but no

sound came out. Kate remained angry. "This is it! I don't know what's wrong with you two, but its coming

to an end now" she said with a look of determination. Both Claire and Shannon looked over at her s

strangely. _This can't be good. _

It was very late when Charlie got back. The sun was beginning to go down, leaving the skies a dark grey.

He walked out of the woods in a bit of a stager. He'd gotten lost along the way, missing the right turn

atleast three times. He stopped when he saw Claire, standing out by the water. She wore a deep brown,

thin, wrinkled top with a thin, darker brown ribbon running around just below her bust line and another

broom skirt, similar to the one she had on earlier except this one stopped a little below her knees and was a

light shade of blue. The close waved and billowed back wards in the wind along with her hair, witch was

whipping about her rapidly. Her hair had been long when they'd crashed, coming down to small of her

back, now it was only a couple inches above her knees. She pushed a chunk of it back behind her ear as she

stood bare foot in the ankle deep water where the waves broke along the sand. He couldn't help but smile

as he made his way over to her. "Hey" he said, stopping next to her, hands kept snug inside his pockets.

"Hey!" she replied with a smile, happy to see him. "Where have you been?" Charlie looked down and gave

a little embarrassed laugh. "I got lost" her answered foolishly. Claire laughed. "So, what are you doing out

here by yourself?" he asked, pulling on the edges of his pants so that they didn't get soaked as the waves

rolled back. "Sinking" she replied, looking down at her feet. They were covered in sand. "How long have

you been sinking?" he asked playfully, pretending to worry about her mental stability. Any one was sane

beside him. "Not long. Just, waiting for you to get back" she answered, looking back up at him. "Aw, you

missed me?" he said in a sarcastic voice of a child. "Yeah" she replied, copying his behavior. He smiled and

leaned in for a kiss, only meant to last for a second. But instead their lips parted for only a second before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back in, smiling agenst his lips. He pulled his arms

around her waist and kissed her back as the water rolled in agenst their feet. The tide rose as the sun set

and sone the waves calves instead of their ankles. Charlie held his arms around her tighter, arching his back

so that he was just barley lifting her off her feet as the kiss continued. Every one had disappeared into their

tents. Because of the heat, the fires were mostly put out. Only the big signal one remained. Charlie waited

for a moment, preparing himself for another panic attack. He was surprised, but oh so relived when it

didn't. The perfect moment had come, and it didn't matter what they were wearing, even if his cloths were

covered in soot. It didn't matter how her hair looked, even if it was all over the place, and it didn't matter

where it happened, in the most senseless place in the world. Right by the roaring ocean. What mattered was

each other.

Claire woke up back inside the tent, where they had moved over night so that they weren't broad casting to

all. Unlike Jack and Kate, they had common decency. She kept her eyes almost closed, watching as the dim

candle light danced and flickered across her pillow. She smiled warmly as memories of just a few hours ago

resurface in her mind. She'd be remembering them for the rest of her life. She let her eyes close all they way,

lulled by the warmth from the blanket, and almost fell back to sleep when she felt and arm slide around her

waist. Charlie kissed her bare shoulder as she turned her head to see him. She smiled as she tightened her

arm over his, their fingers entwined. "Morning" he smiled back at her. Claire blushed slightly. "Its not

morning yet" she corrected, glaceing up at the ceiling, where no light beamed through. "I know...I couldn't

think of any thing else to say" he confessed playfully, returning to his weird form of humor. Claire giggled,

finding him completely amusing, as she had since the day she meet him. Back when he helped her with her

bags, joked with her, made her laugh, told her men were bloody useless. Not this one, she though as she

smiled back at him. Moving her hand slowly up his neck to the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair. He took in a deep breath as he shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable. "I love you" he said for

the second time, smiling warmly. But this time Claire didn't say it back. Instead, she leaned in and kissed

him. She pulled his arm around her waist, moving his hand softly agenst her back. The other rested at the

side of her face, just barley touching her cheek. "Claire" a voice spoke. Her eyes grew wide and their lips

parted. Seeing that his mouth was completely in use, the word couldn't have come from Charlie. Her heart s

sunk and a horrified expression arose as she recognized the voice. "Thomas?"

To be continued...

(Well, there we have it. Yes, I know, I'm evil. Deal with it. I'll get the next one up as soon as I can. Again, sorry to leave you hanging like that, but I just couldn't resist!)


	21. Stalker

**Disclaimer: I don't own lost, and all that jazz. Any ways, this is the next chapter. It's a little shorter than usual, but I wanted to get it out hear so you could have a little bit more. Sorry It took so long, but Christmas is a bit of a set back. Expect more soon, until then...read and review. **

**Alterairal10: Sorry about that, I simply had to do it. I'll be sure to write as often as possible, because I'll be stuck here at home two._ Lots _of free time. **

**I know I received one more review witch was accidentally deleted, so for who ever it was from thank you for responding and please send it again if you like or atleast let me know in your next respond, if you chose to do so of chouse. I'd to respond to it in the next update.**

FATE

Stalker

Claire's eye remained wide as she waited for a response. "What did you say?" Charlie was asking,

giving her a confused look. "Didn't you hear that?" she asked, hoping to god that he had. "Hear

what? Who's Thomas?" he asked, continuing to look bewildered. "You didn't hear that at all?!"

she asked, though it sounded more like yelling. Charlie shook his head in response. "Oh god.." she

whimpered, and dropped her head into her hands. Charlie was beginning to worry about her. He

layied his hand on her back to comfort her and waited a little while before speaking. "Claire?" he

said softly, after a moment to get her attention. She looked up. "Who's Thomas?" he asked as

sincerely as possible. His timid voice and sad eyes showed that he already knew the answer. A

tear rolled down Claire's cheek. _How could I do this to him? _She thought as she stared into his

eyes, seeing the hurt inside them. She had to look away. _What can I tell him?_ She whipped the

tear away and forced herself to look him in the eye. "Charlie, I'm so sorry-" she began to

apologize, her voice a bit squeaky from being so upset. Charlie looked surprised. "About what?"

he questioned, his eye brows lowered. "About the-" she started to say with a look of confusion

before a smile crossed her face. He wasn't angry. He wasn't mad or upset or anything. He was

just concerned. "Oh god! I love you!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck in a

sudden hug. Charlie smiled and hugged her back, although he didn't understand why. "Are you

alright?" he asked, pulling back and holding her shoulders to look at her. "Yeah" she nodded,

trying to sound as reassuring as possible. But she was lieing, she wasn't alright. She'd herd

Thomas's voice, unmistakably, even if she hadn't herd it in over a year. And if she heard it, it

could mean one of two things. One, she was going insane, witch after being stranded on in island

for over a year, would be entirely possible. Or two, Thomas was alive. The thought sent a chill

down her spine as Charlie wrapped his arms around her again and kissed the side of her cheek.

She held him back and tried to put her mind on something else.

Later that night, well, more like morning, Claire got up to go for a walk. Charlie remained asleep

inside the tent as she walked aimlessly across the sand, holding the little black book of hers at her

side. She settled after a while at a little table with an owning close to the trees, open to the

'public'. She sat down and began righting. She hadn't used it in over a month, to busy with Ben

and Charlie and the daily chores. She smiled as she wrote, forced to push the same strand of hair

back behind her ear every ten seconds due to the strong winds blowing through. The plastic tarp

that ran down the back of the owning flapped and rustled in the wind. Soon, she grew tired as the

pin squiggled letters limply in her hand. She yawned and her eye lids grew heavy as her head rested

on her free hand, pushing agenst her cheek. Another wind blew by and began blowing papers and

thing around. She was startled when she heard a soft thump from beside her. She looked up to see

Boone standing beside her. Her gave a little smile and held up a note book with his name waiting

on it in marker. She assumed it was his journal, or something like it. "Mind if I join you?" he

asked, taking a seat beside her. "Its windy" she warned with a friendly tone. A small pile or papers

clattered and rolled across the table infront of them. "No kidding" her replied, watching as they

almost flew off the table. Claire caught the mess before it flew away and smacked it down on the

table top, placing a book on top of it. "You've got a cute kid" he complimented, without looking

up from his righting. "Thank you" Claire said with a smile as her pen flew rapidly across the little

pages. "My sister loves him" he added, leaning back in his chair with his leg crossed guy style,

resting the note book across it. "Yeah, she's really good with him"Claire agreed, pushing the

strand back for the hundredth time. He nodded with a smile, and continued righting. For a little

while it was quiet, except for the wind. The loud, howling, eerie wind. "So what are you doing out

here all by yourself?" she asked, shifting in her own chair so that she was sitting on her feet. She

was wearing nothing more than a pair of rather short black shorts beneath another one of Charlie's

T-shirts. Her bare legs were becoming very cold. "Couldn't sleep" he shrugged casually, a smile

crossed his face. "Shannon snores" he added in a conspicuous whisper. Claire giggled. _Blackmail. _

"And yourself?" he asked, glancing up from his note book. She smiled unconsciously as her pen

stopped. "Same thing" she answered. "So you could hear Shannon snoring?! Damn, didn't know it

was that bad." he said sarcastically. "No, no. Actually it was my own insanity getting to me" she

said before thinking. _Why did I tell him that? _He gave a look of surprise. "You have insanity?

What kind?" he asked, still holding a joking tone. "I have no clue, but its defonetly there" she

explained. "Why do you say that?" he asked, looking interested. "Well, its nothing really. Just early

me and Charlie were up talking and I heard some one say my name" she explained carelessly,

makeing it seem like it was nothing. "Maybe some one did" he suggested. "No, its not possible"

she replied, shacking her head. "Why's that?" he asked, looking a little confused. "Oh,

its...nothing. Really, I just, need sleep probably" she said, trying to get off the subject. "Yeah,

that's reasonable" he agreed, nodding. _Maybe he was hearing voices to and just didn't want to _

_admit it. _A loud rustle came from behind the plastic, from the woods. It sounded like leaves

moving in the wind, but for the moment the wind was entirely still. Both turned in their seats to

look back as he rustling continued. "You heard that right?" she asked, turning to him. "Yeah" he

nodded, "what is it?" Claire looked back, the sound stopped. "I don't know" she answered,

speaking softly. "You think...you think some ones back there?" he asked, sounding a little worried.

"I don't know" she answered, the same look of worry crossing her face.A twig snapped, makeing

both of them jump. He thought for a moment before getting up. She fallowed behind him as he

made his way back to the tress. Some one, or something was moving a little ways back. Leaves

rustled agenst each other as shadows twisted and moved across the bark of the trees. They

watched with wide eyes. Boone put out his arm, telling her to stay behind him. She obeyed

willingly, a panic rising inside her. What ever bad things happened, it always occurred in the jungle.

A place where she could avoid, stay as far from as she wanted. But now it, what ever 'it' may be,

was emerging. And there was no where to run. "Claire!" A voice called from behind them, it

wasn't Thomas's. they turned to see Locke standing outside his tent. "What's going on?" he

asked, walking towards them. A rather large hunting knife was held firm in his hand. "Some ones

out there" Boone explained in a mildly shake voice, pointing towards the blackness behind the

trees. Locke squinted, attempting to see inside the dark. He took a couple steps forward, nearing

the edge of the trees. He held onto one as he leaned into the darkness. "Are you sure?" he asked,

turning back to them. They both nodded. "We heard it, moving around in there" Boone explained,

continuing to nod as he talked. Locke looked back. "Well, what ever it was, its gone now" Locke

confirmed, dusting his hands as he walked back to them. "Maybe you two should get some rest" he

suggested plainly. "Yeah, sure" Boone said, his voice had a slight hint of sarcasm. Claire nodded in

agreement and went over to the table to get her notes.

"Hey, Hurly" Charlie called, standing at the edge of the water. "Yeah, dude?" Hurly replied,

looking up from his work. He was standing out knee deep in the water trying to use a blanket as a

fish net. "Wheres the manifest?" Charlie asked in a normal tone, squinting from the sun. "the

what?" Hurly called back. "The Manifest! The paper with everyone's name on it?" Charlie said in a

louder, slightly aggravated voice. "Oh, that thing." Hurly said, makeing his way back to the shore.

"Why do you want that?" he asked, stopping infront of him. "I just want to look at something.

Where is it?" Charlie said, trying not to sound suspicious. "Take a wild guess" Hurly said, giving a

glance over at the trees. _Sowyer. _

Sowyer looked up from his copy of Watership Down witch he'd taken from Boone and Shannon

bag early on. "May I help you?" he said in a uninviting tone as he looked up at Charlie. "Uh, yeah

actually. I was told you had the manifest thing?" Charlie said, scratching the back of his head. "The

'manifest thing', huh? Probably do" Sowyer shrugged, not remembering the item. "Well, can I see

it?" Charlie asked. Sowyer looked up from the book again. "What for?" he questioned. "I just want

to see it" Charlie replied defensively. Sowyer's eye brows perked up. "Woo, calm down" he said,

holding his hands up sarcastically as if he were surrendering. "Sorry, I'm just a little...edgy" Charlie

apologized. "No kidding" Sowyer agreed with a laugh. "Well?" Charlie said after a moment, the

aggravation returning. "Well what?" Sowyer said simply. "Are you going to get it?" Charlie said

angrily. "I will...for a price" Sowyer smirked deviously. Charlie sighed with a roll of his eyes.

"What would that be?" he asked with extreme frustration. "Well, I don't know yet. What can you

do for me?" Sowyer replied in a little sarcastic voice._ Nothing, you ass whole. Now give me the _

_god damn paper_, Charlie thought. Then a better idea came to him. "How many cigarets do you

have left?" he asked curiously. "None, as a matter of fact" Sowyer answered with a little

resentment. "Well then...I think I can help you" Charlie grinned.

In moments, Sowyer was on the ground digging from pile to pile in search of the manifest. "Find it

yet?" Charlie asked casually, sitting in the grass near by. "Not yet" Sowyer said with aggravation

as he continued to dig in the ground. "Come on! Come on! Where is it?!" He was grumbling as he

pulled out another bag and unzipped the top. Charlie watched patiently."ah, ha!" Sowyer said

finally with a smirk as he lifted the crinkled paper from the bag. He rose to his feet, then came right

back down beside Charlie. "Here" he said, shoving the paper at him quickly. In return, Charlie

handed him what looked like a little white role of paper. "This, looks like pot" Sowyer noted,

looking down at the little thing. "I know, but its not. Its all nicotine." Charlie assured, scanning

over the paper to make sure it was the right one. "Huh," Sowyer said thoughtfully, studding the

little white wrap in his hand. "Where'd you learn this?" he asked, turning to him. "I sed to smoke

back in high school, and then I was poor. Cost less if you wrap them yourselves" he explained.

Sowyer nodded. "What about now?" he asked, glancing over at him. "I quit a long time ago"

Charlie explained. "Why's that?" Sowyer continued to question. "It's a terrible habit" Charlie said

in an intellectually sarcastic voice. "I got poorer" he admitted after wards. "So you decided to take

up heroin instead?" Sowyer questioned casually. Charlie looked up, caught off guard by the

question. It had been a while since his drug habits had been brought up, and normally it was

brought up by himself. "Yeah, kind of stupid I guess. But I didn't start that until I...made more

money" He explained randomly, talking to himself more than anything. "Man, its just one addiction

after another with you, isn't it?" Sowyer noted with a laugh. "Yeah" Charlie nodded distantly,

hearing his own thoughts spoken out loud by someone else. "Well, lemme give you a little piece of

advice" Sowyer proposed. "What ever little habit you've got going for you at the moment, don't

quit it" He said, then stood up and began walking. Charlie shook the paper and began reading,

running his finger down the list of his names as he fallowed with his eyes. He stopped when he saw

the name before him printed in black letters. "Thomas" he said, reading out loud. "I'm sorry?"

Sowyer said with a look of confusion as he turned back around. "Oh, nothing..I was uh-" Charlie

began to explain, climbing to his feet. "Speak English, dammit" Sowyer ordered angrily. "He was

on the plain" Charlie said with a look of bewilderment, talking to himself as ignored Sowyer. "Who

was?" Sowyer asked, still confused. "Thomas, Thomas was on the plain." Charlie explained,

shaking the paper in his hand. "Who in the sam hell is Thomas?" Sowyer asked, looking at him as

if he were crazy. Charlie's eye remained wide, in a look of shock as he stared at the paper witch

was latched between two shaky hands. "He's Claire's ex..." Charlie explained without looking up.

"Ben's father" he added after a moment. Sowyer mouthed the word 'oh', now understanding the

situation.

"Hey" Sun said with a grin as she took a seat next to Claire, who was playing with Ben in the sand.

"Hey" Claire replied as she stugled to pull her hair back into a pony tail. "Where is Charlie?" Sun

questioned. "I don't know" Claire replied as if she were trying to remember. "He went out into the

jungle somewhere this morning according to Locke, so I haven't seen him" She then explained, so

Sun would not worry. Sun had begun to say something when she noticed a shadow being cast

infront of them and looked up. "Almost that time again" Kate said with a smile, indicating to the

basket of cloths in her hand. Sun looked down at her own shirt witch had a large black spot on the

sleeve from the ash that now surrounded the fuselodge. "No kidding" she said, pulling at the

blackened cloth. "Yeah, I've been stealing shirts from Charlie for the past two weeks" Claire

added. "Well, why don't you girls get your cloths together and me and Shan. will go get the rest"

Kate suggested. "Sounds good to me" Claire agreed as she went to stand. Half way up, she lost

her balance and had to grab onto Kate's shoulder to keep from falling. "You alright?" Kate asked,

giving her a worried look. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just got a little dizzy" Claire assured. She lifted Ben

up with her. She walked with him on her hip as she made her way back to the tent. She walked

inside, and was surprised to see Jack standing before her. "Oh, hey Claire" he said nervously,

looking a little startled.

"Hey, Jack....what are you doing here?" she asked in a friendly, though confused tone. "Uh...I was

looking for something. Charlie...borrowed something from me and I was just going to...get it

back" he explained in a babbling tone. "Oh, well maybe I can help you find it. What are you

looking for?" she asked helpfully, not at all suspicious of his strange behavior. "Oh, no. That's

alright, I think I can get it. You just...get what you need" he suggested, talking quickly. "Alright.."

Claire agreed skeptically, now beginning to worry. She put Ben down and began grabbing cloths

and throwing them into a card board box. Unlike the other girls, she was nice enough to do

Charlie's as well. Not only because he clearly didn't no how, but because she'd worn most of the

in the past week and felt guilty about it. She piled cloths on top of cloths until the box was heavy

and full. Jack was still rummaging through their things when she finished. "You sure you doing

need any help?" she asked again as she picked Ben up and set him on top of the basket. "No, no.

I'll find it" he assured, fakeing a smile. "Ok..." she said skeptically, and headed back outside.

She was on her way back to where the girls were sitting when she heard the voice again. She

turned back to look over her shoulder, hoping to see someone else, any one else calling her, but no

one was there. The only person behind her whom she could see was Locke, and he was busy with

his fire. Before she could turn around, she felt herself run into to something. "Claire" Charlie

grinned, happy to see her. "Hey!..sorry about that" she apologized, slightly embarrassed. "No

problem. I love it when cute girls run into me" he replied playfully, putting his arm around her

shoulder. "What were you looking at?" he asked walking with her. "I though I heard some one call

my name" she said with a shrug, as if it were nothing. "Again?" he questioned, looking worried.

He stopped to face her. "Yeah..its nothing" she tried to assure him. He wasn't buying it. "Look,

Claire. I don't want you to think this is about me being jealous or anything, but I'm worried. If your

hearing things, something might be wrong.." now he seemed nervous, but looked more upset than

anything. "Charlie, I'm fine.." She explained brightly, trying to prove her point. He looked as if he

were going to protest, but stopped himself. A smile crossed his face. "Alright. I guess, you know

yourself better than any one else..." he gave in, brushing the hair back off his forehead. Claire s

smiled, and nodded. "I guess I'm just kind of upset that you didn't tell me..." he added. This, caught

her attention. "Tell you what?" she asked, looking confused. "About Thomas. How, he was one the

plane" Charlie explained in a quiet tone, his hands shoved in his pockets. Claire looked surprised.

"How did you know about that?" she asked, in the same soft tone. "I looked at the manifest. I

know, I should have just asked but I didn't want to bring it up" he told, avoiding eye contact. "It's

alright. I don't blame you for wanting to know." Claire assured, feeling rather guilty. "I should have

told you" she added regretfully. "You would have" he replied. She looked up at him in aw. "Your

not...man?" she questioned, slightly confused. "No. Of chorse not. You would have told me sooner

or later, you were just trying to find the right time. And if not, then you have a good reason." he

explained with a smile. "Your...amazing" Claire complemented, wishing she could hug him, though

it was impossible with the box of cloths and ben in her hands. "I know" he shrugged, grinning like a

fool. He put his arm back around her shoulders and continued to walk her two the laundry bin. "So

where did you find this...manifest?" she asked conspiriously, leaning her head agenst his shoulders

as they walked. "Sowyer" Charlie answered shortly. "How much did that cost you?" she questioned

teasingly. "Lets just say we have an....understanding" Charlie replied secretively. The two both

laughed. They were only a few feet away from the bin when the girls noticed them. "Aww, how

cute" Shannon teased, tilting her head as she looked up at the two. Claire blushed as she knelt down

to put Ben and the box on the ground. Charlie looked away from them all, avoiding the erg that

came naturally to look when a girl was bending over. He once again pushed the hair back from his f

face, letting his hand rest at the back of his neck, unaware that he was reveling another little secret.

"Hi, Charlie" Kate said with a suspicious grin as she popped up beside him. "Hey..Kate" he replied,

a little startled to see her there. She smiled, looking directly at his neck where a little brown spot

,similar to the one on Claire's neck, laid. Shannon and Sun took note to it and both began giggling.

Charlie, not quite catching on, just looked at them skeptically. "Alright, well I guess I'll be going"

Charlie said, turning to Claire as she stood back up. "Alright, bye" she replied, giving him a little

good by kiss. He smiled and began walking, but was stopped. "Going where?" Kate asked, calling

to him from her spot by the bin. "Uh...no where I guess." he shrugged, turning around. "Well, why

don't you sit with us?" Kate invited, putting on a friendly act. Claire gave her a skeptical look as

she began pulling out the cloths. "Oh, no that's alright..I don't want to..uh...intrude-" Charlie began

to babble. "Oh, don't be silly. Come on" Shannon insisted, chiming in with Kate. Claire shot her a

look. "Uh..alright" Charlie gave in finally, and took a seat between Sun and Claire. For a while it

was quiet. The girls washed their cloths, giving little glances to one another, waiting for some one

to speak. The silence was extremely uncomfortable. It was finally broken when Boone approached.

"Oh god, what do you want?" Shannon sighed moodily when she noticed him standing over her.

"Uh, actually I wanted to talk to Claire" he explained in the same bratty tone, speaking directly to

Shannon. Shannon rolled her eyes and went back to her laundry. "Do you mind?" he asked,

changing to a friendly tone as he turned to Claire. "No, not at all" she replied and began pulling

herself off the ground. They walked a little ways from the group, far enough so they couldn't be

heard. "About last night, we both saw something right?" he asked as soon as they were out of

listening distance. "Yeah..I guess" she replied, a little confused. "Alright. Well I don't mean to freak

you out or anything, but...just a little while ago I was in my tent, trying to go to sleep, and heard

something moving around back there. Again, so I got up to look, and I saw someone standing

there-" he was explaining in a daze, trying to remember each detail. "Standing...where?"Claire

asked, not exactly following. He took a deep breath. "There, just outside the woods. He was...he

was stareing right at you" He finished, looking terrified. Claire's jaw dropped. "Are you sure?" She

asked, starting to worry. "Positive" He assured, nodding frantically. His hands were resting on her

shoulders. "Oh god..." she sighed, beginning to panic. She was looking down at the sand. "Look,

calm down, ok? Don't freak out" Boone said, trying to calm her down. Claire pulled her hair back

as she nodded in response, unable to speak. She closed her eyes and took a deep gulp of air, trying

to calm down. She felt dizzy, her temples throbbed. "Claire? You alright?" Boone asked, gripping

her shoulders. His voice was a distant drone, accompanied by faint hum like that of a refrigerator.

she held to her head with both hands, pulling her hair back between her fingers. "Claire?" he related,

trying to get her attention. She opened her eyes, focusing on their feet in the sand. The floor was s

pinning. She gripped his arm, trying to keep herself still. Her head pounded and she felt sick to her

stomach. "Claire!" Boone called in a panic, trying to snap her out of it. It was to late. Her eyes

rolled shut and she began to fall. He caught her in his arms, and slowly lowered her to the ground.

A couple of the people close by, being Locke, Michael, Hurly and Sayid, all came rushing over.

"What happened?" Locke asked, coming off as angry as he lifted her head up off the ground. "I..I

don't know, she just feel..out of no where!" Boone rambled, nervously trying to explained.

"Boone!" Locke said forcefully, grabbing his attention. "What happened?" he asked again in a lesser

tone once Boone looked at him. Boone sighed and began to emplane logically.


	22. Random

Disclaimer: I don't own lost. Well, since this one ended really shockingly, I'm going to write the next chapter in the next couple hours and, if my plan goes right, I'll have it updated some time tonight. So if your still on, keep checking cause it should be there before I go to sleep. The next chapter involves a lot of weird ideas that I and some of my friends have talked about while I was righting, and I found them extremely amusing, so I decided to incorporate them into the story. So I hope you find them as entertaining as I did, and if they really freak you out, I'm truly sorry.

Alterairal10: Marry Christmas and all that Jazz to you to. I agree in the theory of "Thomas should die", and if I want something to happen on the show, then I normally put it in my story, so there's a little hint. But of chorse, with me its never that simple.

A A Battery: Hey, your back! Where have you been? Oh well, its nice to hear from you again! I'm doing it for a simple reason, I'm mean! also, very bored.

FATE

Random

"Fainted? Why?" Charlie was asking, arms crossed over his chest as he spoke to Boone. "I really

don't know" Boone replied with a shrug. "Well what did you say to her?" he questioned. Boone

looked down. "Ok, last night while you were asleep, Claire was up walking around, and so was I.

We heard something moving around in the woods. Locke came out, told us...it was nothing, go

back to bed. So we did. But early today, when you two were walking together, I was some one

standing out there...looking at her. So I told her and she...blacked out" Boone explained horridly.

"Someone was looking at her?" Charlie asked, makeing sure he'd heard correctly. Boone nodded.

"Did you get a look at him?" Charlie asked, continuing his investigation. Boone shook his head.

"No, I only saw him for a second, then he left. I think he knew I saw him" he explained, talking

slowly as he remembered each detail. "Why didn't you go after him?" Locke spoke up from his

place by the door. "What was I gonna do, chase him?" Boone replied sarcastically. Locke

shrugged in a 'good point' way. Jack remained silent the entire time, examining Claire, who was

laying across the table, over and over again. "How's she doing?" Charlie asked, turning to him.

"Still unconscious" he replied without looking up. "No kidding" Boone huffed dryly. "As far as I

can tell, she's fine. The fainting was probably just brought on by shock, panic" Jack elaborated,

turning to face the group. "When is she going to wake up?" Charlie questioned. "I can't say" Jack

answered with a sigh. Charlie nodded, expecting no more. He walked over to the table and sat on

the edge, wrapping his hand around her's as it lay motionless across her stomach. "Your sure she's

alright?" Charlie spoke again, looking up at Jack. "I can't be sure. Not until she wakes up" Jack

explained. "What dose that mean?" Boone questioned. He was almost as worried as Charlie. "It

means that if something was going on with her before she fainted, she's the only one who could tell

me...unless one of you noticed anything" Jack explained. "She was hearing things" Charlie told.

Jack looked surprised to hear a response. "What thing?" he asked, crossing his arms. "She said she

hear some one calling her name. She said it, atleast twice" Charlie explained. Jack nodded.

"Anything else?" Kate spoke up from the other corner her and Shannon were standing in. "Yeah.

Earlier, she kind of lost her balance, said she got dizzy" Kate recalled. Jack nodded again. "Yeah, I

think she said she was hearing stuff the night before, too. She said that's why she couldn't sleep"

Boone added. "Maybe that's it. Not enough sleep" Jack suggested in his medical tone. Charlie

knew that wasn't possible, she'd been sleeping fine for the last couple days. And he knew because

he'd been the one awake, watching her sleep like crazy. But he decided to leave it at that. If there

was something wrong, Jack could hear it from her when she woke up. He lifted Ben out of

Shannon's arms and carried him out, as the rest of the group began to make their way back to their

random activities. He took ben over to a spot by their tent, so he'd be close by when she woke up.

He sat on the discarded tire, letting Ben move around in the sand. Shannon took a seat on the floor

infront of him, not wanting to leave Ben. "You don't mind do you?" she asked, looking up at

Charlie in hopes that she wasn't intruding on some father and son time. "No, not at all" he assured

with a smile. She smiled back, and began playing with Ben. It still amazed him how good she, of all

people, was with the kid. She clearly didn't get along well with adults, although she'd grown on

most of the people on the island. Perhaps it was because she was such a child herself, he though.

That made him smile. "What are you grinning about?" she questioned brightly, looking up at him

from her spot on the sand. "Nothing. Thinking" he said, snapping out of his daze. "...right..." she

said skeptically, pushing a lose strand back behind her ear. "What is it with you two and thinking

all the time?" she ten asked suddenly, shifting into an up-right position. Charlie shrugged, not

really knowing how to respond. She laughed slightly, and he looked even more confused as he

arched and eye brow at her. "I mean, seriously. I think, but I don't sit there and waste my time

with it. How are you suppose to have a decent conversation?" She ranted, secretly trying to start o

ne. Sympathy was a quality that she'd newly developed on the island, and right now she was

feeling it for him. It seemed that him and his girl would never get any peace around hear, and her

and Kate's little antics weren't helping much. "Are you kidding? Random thoughts make good

conversations" he protested. "Really?" she said skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Really. I mean, come on. What would you rather talk about? Captain hooks name before he got

the hook, or a...new pair of shoes?" he asked energetically. Shannon blinked at him for a moment.

"...a new pair of shoes" was her answer. "That's right. I forgot, your rich" he said almost

insultingly. "But you see, there's only so many new shoe's you can by before you use up your dads

credit card, and then what? Then, its only so long before the bitch starts talking about you behind

your back." he concluded in a odd ramble. Shannon raised an eye brow at him. "You were always

last pick for doge ball, weren't you?" she predicted. "..Doge ball?"he asked curiously, not knowing

what she was talking about. "You don't know what doge ball is?" she asked in disbelief. He shook

his head. "Oh my god. No wonder you think so much. You must have ben board as hell when you

were a kid!" She suggested. "Hm, maybe that's why all the young people in England have drug

problems, they get really, _really_ board. So in a way, drug use could be _completely_ prevented if

they just played doge ball" she concluded thoughtfully, talking more to herself than to him.

"Shannon" he said in a worried tone. She looked up at him. "You realize you just had

a..._completely_ random thought" He pointed out. Shannon blinked again before realizing what he

said. "Oh no" she pretended to be afraid. "Welcome to the dark side" he grinned. "More like the

creepy weird side" she corrected. "No, I defonetly prefer 'dark' over 'creepy weird'" he pretested.

"Well, what ever you want to call it, I don't want to be in it. How do you get out?" she said with a

laugh. "If I knew, do you think I'd still be here?" he asked sarcastically. "Oh no, that means I'm

trapped. Pretty soon I'm going to be saying things like " can you get cornered in a round room" or

"can you choke and die on a life savior" and all kinds of crazy shit" she ranted playfully. "Yeah,

pretty much" he nodded. It fell silent for a moment, as Charlie though. "Can you choke and die on

a life savor?" he asked, sitting up straight. Shannon raised an eye brow at him. "Yeah, actually"

Jack said, appearing out of no where. "Really?" Charlie said with a look of fascination. Shannon

turned her 'your crazy' expression to him. "How do you know?" she asked, astonished. it

happened to me once in fith grade."Jack explained. "Woo, you choked and _died..._ on a life savor?"

Charlie asked, teasingly. "Well, not died, obviously" Jack said, glancing down at himself to show

he was still alive. "Duh" Shannon murmured. "How's Claire?" Charlie asked, changing the subject.

"She seems fine, still out. "So, about that whole round room thing?" Jack continued, turning to

Shannon. "What about it?" she replied moodily. "Where did that come from?" he asked, looking at

her skeptically. "I don't know. Ask him, he's the one putting all these crazy questions in my head"

she said, jabbing an accusing finger in Charlie's face. Jack laughed. "Yeah, I've got a bunch"

Charlie admitted to no one in particular. "Really?" Jack asked, looking at him funny. "Write one

down every time one pops in my head. Got a whole note book full. Couple actually" Charlie

explained. "Isn't that some form of insanity, doc?"

Shannon asked, looking over at Jack. "How should I know? I'm not a psychiatrist" he shrugged.

Shannon rolled her eyes moodily. Jack smiled at the jester, then turned to Charlie. "I'd like to see

this book" he said plainly. Charlie smiled.

Jack sat Indian-style on the ground with an open note book on his lap, reading out loud. "If you

rearrange the letters in mother in law it makes women Hitler....can you put a gay man in a straight j

jacket?" he read, and stopped to laugh. Charlie was sitting across from him with Ben in his lap, o

outside of him and Claire's tent. The door remained open so that if she woke up, they would know.

Charlie could see her clearly from where he was sitting, and had been watching her for the last

couple minutes as Jack read his own thoughts back to him. He'd struggled with Charlie's scribbled

letters at first, but now was used to his hand wrighting and read clearly, stopping to laugh every

couple seconds. "This is really good. You should make a book out of it" Jack suggested. "I did"

Charlie remind him, gesturing to the thing in his hand. "I mean get it published" Jack corrected

himself, moments before reliving the huge fault in his idea. "Never mind" he sighed, and went back

to reading. "If electricity comes from electrons, dose morality come from morons?...do bald people

get dandruff?" Jack continued reading. "Ask Locke" he suggested with a laugh. "I did!" Charlie

replied with a grin. "What did he say?" Jack questioned. "He just looked at me like I was crazy and

walked away" Charlie answered, still laughing. Jack shook his head and continued reading. "Why

do they put the names of foot ball teams on baseball caps?...How is Charlie short for Charles if

they're both the same letters, but Charlie takes longer to say?" Jack looked up at Charlie, who was

still smiling. "I asked that one to my mum when I was three" Charlie explained. "What did she say?"

Jack asked. "She...looked at me like I was crazy and walked away" Charlie replied, repeating

himself as he laughed. "Man, you've been getting crazy looks your whole life. I didn't start getting

mine until I was in junior high" Jack said sarcastically, then went back to the book. He scanned

down the page for a little while, then began turning. "How many of these do you have?" he asked,

looking up at Charlie. "A lot. I've been wrighting them since I was...in junior high" He explained.

Jack shrugged and nodded, seeming to understand. "Sadly enough, people have read them and

giving me answers to most of the questions....except one" Charlie explained. "Witch one?" Jack

asked, seeming interested. "Ok, start humming, and then hold your nose" Charlie instructed. Jack

gave him a skeptical look, then began humming. After a moment, he held his nose as Charlie had

said. It went silent. At first he looked confused, then his eyes widened. Charlie began laughing.

"You see? Why dose it do that? You don't hum through your nose, but it stops. Its crazy" He

rambled, almost angrily. "That is weird" Jack said thoughtfully in agreement. He shrugged it off and

skipped to a random page and began reading to himself. "I wrote one about you in there on the

back. Well, not about you but, inspired by you" Charlie told. Jack smiled and flipped to the back,

finding his little space. "If you had a friend named Jack on a plain, and you yelled 'hi' to him, would

you get arrested?" Jack read outlawed. He smiled at the line, then continued reading. "If London

bridge is still standing, why did someone right a song about it falling down?..why do people say

they slept like a baby when baby's wake up every two hours and cry about it?" Jack laughed again.

"That, was inspired by you" Charlie said, talking to Ben. Who grinned in response. Jack continued

reading "Why do they call him a skipper when all he dose is stand there?...if the weather man says

theres a 50 chance of rain, doesn't that mean he dosent really know what the hells going to

happen?..why is that on the Mini Wheats commercial, sweets has a Brooklyn accent, and Wheats

has an English accent when they're clearly raised in the same place?...if you don't pay the exorcists,

will you get repossessed?...What happens if you fill a raisin up with water?...can a narcoleptic

person to have insomnia?...man, you are crazy" Jack shook his head as he laughed. "Keep going, it

gets worse" Charlie told him. "Should we listen to page 666 in the bible?...why is bra singular and

panties plural...can you sneeze with your eyes open?...why do woman open their mouths when they

put on mascara?...if ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?...why are obituaries found in

the living section of the paper? ...when you put 'THE' and 'IRS' together, it makes 'THEIRS'...the

word 'therapist' is really just 'the rapist' put together" Jack reached the end of the page. "Well, I

think I've heard enough insanity for today" Jack concluded as he closed the book. Charlie wasn't

paying attention. A grin had crossed his face as he stared through the door. Jack turned, seeing

Claire sit up on the table and look around with her eye's half shut. They both scrambled to their feet

and made a mad dash inside. "How do you feel?" Jack asked, slowing to a walk as he came in, so as

not to seem panicked. Charlie, did not take his lead. He pushed past him and stopped at Claire side,

taking her hand in his. She smiled, amused by his desperate attempt to reach her first. "I feel

fine..except, my head hurts...really bad" She admitted after a moment, holding the back of her head

with the hand that wasn't being squeezed to death. "Well, that's expected" Jack replied with a short

smile. "Do you remember what happened?" he asked, looking down at her. "Yeah.." she replied,

thinking for a moment. "Alright, I'll leave you alone for now" Jack said with a little smile, then left.

"So, how do you really feel?" Charlie asked with a smile as he hopped up onto the table. "Horribly"

she whimpered, laying her head on his shoulder. He gave her an overly sympotheticly look as he

smoothed back her hair. "You know what's weird?" she said suddenly, looking up at him. He

waited for her to continued. "I just woke up after fainting, and now I'm really tired" she explained

with a grin. "I'll have to put that one in the book" he suggested with a grin. "What book?" she

asked, giving him a confused look. "Oh, you've gotta to see this" he exclaimed with a grin.

Claire lied on her stomach with her head resting on Charlie's lap. Ben was sprawled out on the bed

not far away. All of them surrounded by note books. He rested his hand on her back, slowly moving

it around for no reason at all. "I can't believe I just read ten full note books of rectorial questions" Claire said with a sigh, right before yawning. "I know, now I need to....make ten full of answers" he

joked, pausing to yawn himself. "You know, when I first saw that big pile of note books, I though

you kept journals" She said, playing with the cloth of his geans. "Well I do, technically" Charlie

replied. "I keep a timely record of my thoughts, inspire by daily life. That's what a journal is right?"

he elaborated. "Hm, I guess your right" she shrugged, and sat up, yawning once again. "Still tired?"

he asked, smiling over at her. "Yeah. I would go to bed, but its ben taken over" she replied,

indicating to Ben, who was laying all over their bed. "That can easily be fixed" Charlie protested,

and lifted Ben of the bed with both arms, and moved him to his own without him even noticering.

"Wow, that's amazing" She smiled sarcastically. "I know" Charlie agreed conceitedly."and if you

think that's amazing" he added, just before lifting her up off the ground and laying her down on the

bed. Claire hit the mat laughing as he leaned over her, they faces only inch's apart as he smiled

down at her. "Good night"she said, leaning up to give him a kiss. "Good night" he replied with a

smile, returning the favor before he shifted down, resting his head on her chest. His arm laid

aimlessly across her stomach. She stretched up to blow out the remaining candle and moved into a

comfortable opposition so that her back was slightly turned him, his head now laid on the back of

her shoulder. She rested her arm over his, shoving the other arm beneath her pillow as she slowly

closed her eyes. She could fill his heart as his chest pressed agenst her back, and slowly fell

asleep to its beat.

_When Claire woke up, she could see nothing. The room was completely dark. She sat up in her bed _

_and began looking around. The moon light shined in through the tarp, makeing the plastic glow _

_white, but gave little aid in terms of lighting. Every thing was a shadow. From outside, she could _

_hear the shuffle of feat moving around by her tent. "Charlie" she whispered softly, shaking him _

_gently to wake him. As the foot steps continued, she could now see the persons shadow, moving _

_across the wall of the tent. He was walking around towards the door. Claire's heart pace quickened _

_as she tugged at Charlie's arm and repeated his name in a low whisper, but stopped when she saw _

_her hands. A band of light from the door way had shined in, landing straight across her hands, witch _

_were covered in blood. She stared down for a moment in confusion before she realized what _

_happened. The light fadded as the shadowy figure moved away from the door. She looked back _

_down, now seeing the blood every where. It wasn't coming form her. She stared down as she _

_breathed heavily, a tear rolled down from her cheek before she let out a loud, blood curdling _

_scream. _

"Claire" Charlie grabbed her shoulders, trying to snap her out of it. She was crying hysterically and

screaming at the top of her lungs. Her head was bowed down, hands clutching the blankets. He

called her name again, tilting her head up to look at him. Her eyes caught his and for a moment she

looked extremely confused. "It was a dream" he told her firmly. As he spoke the door flapped open.

Jack, Kate and Boone came rushing inside. "Is she alright?" Jack asked hurriedly. "She's alright, it

was just another nightmare" Charlie explained, wrapping his arms around her. She burred her face in

his shoulder, her hands gripping on to the fabric of his shirt. "Again? That's the fith one this week"

Kate said, looking at her sympathetically. Jack sighed for a moment. "Go get her some water" Jack

requested, turning to Boone. He nodded, and scurried back out. Jack shifted past Kate, kneeling

beside Claire and Charlie. "Claire, look at him" he said gently, reaching out a hand and placing it on

her shoulder. She whipped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked up at him. "Was it the

same one again?" he asked, looking her dead in the eye. She'd been having a re occurring dream

almost every night for the past week. At first he assumed it was just lack of sleep or the heat, but

now he was worried that it could be much worse. Claire shook her head. "This one was different"

she explained softly, her voice sounding weak and shaky. Jack nodded. Boone returned with a full

water bottle, and handed it over to her. Claire didn't seem to notice, to Charlie took it instead. He

twisted off the top, and lifted up her chin so shed see it. She took it in her hands and took a sip.

"Alright, you try to get some sleep" Jack said plainly, knowing there was nothing he could do for

her. She nodded and gave the bottle back to Charlie, letting her head fall back onto his shoulder.

Jack gave a weak, ghostly smile before turning to leave. The others fallowed. It wasn't until the

others were gone that Ben sat up and crawled into his mom's lap. "You alright, mom?" he asked,

looking up at her with big blue eyes. "Im fine, sweety" she assured, brushing back his fluffy little

hairs. That was all he needed to hear. He sunk down into her lap and rested his head agenst her

chest, snuggling up agenst her. Charlie laid his head agenst hers, smiling down at Ben. "You should

go back to sleep" Claire suggested, once Ben had drifted off. It only took a matter of seconds. "Are

you kidding? I couldn't sleep before, there's no way in hell I'm going out now" he explained. Claire

smiled lightly, and laid herself agenst him. He pulled the blankets up around her, letting hers arm rest

around her waist as he pulled her closer. Soon, she fell back asleep.

The next morning, Jack decided that he wanted to give Claire an examination. What ever was

causing these dreams and dizzy spells needed to be found, and he wasn't about to blame it on some

crazy stalker. This was more than just 'stress related'. Claire sat on the table, back in the medical

tent, looking around the room uncomfortably. Jack popped back up infront of her, and turned her

head to face him. He was holding a little black mag light in his hand, and without warning, shined it

in her eye. She blinked instinctively, a couple times before forcing herself to hold them open. After a

couple of seconds, he turned it back off and dropped it back into his pocket. He then placed his hand

on either side of her neck, pressing his fingers down a little hard. "Your glands are swollen" he

noted, Kate began scribbling that down on the clip board. "Are you surprised? I've woken up

screaming every night this week" Claire reminded him. Jack smiled, glad to see she wasn't going

completely hysteric over the situation. She was actually handling it really well, a quality all of them

had developed on the island. "Anything new since this morning?" he asked, turning her head from

side to side. "Just getting dizzy again" She explained. "Dizzy like, loss of balance of dizzy

like..nauseous?" He asked, continuing to examen her. "Both" She replied unenthusiastically. Jack

gave her a funny look that only lasted for a split second, but she caught it none the less. "Have you

been eating well?" he asked, taking the clip board out of Kate's hand. "Yeah, I've been eating really

well...to well probably" Claire answered. At that moment, her stomach growled. Jack arched his eye

brow at her. "I'm not lieing! I just ate, like five minutes ago, ask Locke, he saw me!" She began to

protest. Jack smiled. "No, I didn't mean that" he said in a slightly secretive tone. Claire looked at

him funny. "what...did you mean?" she asked, now rasing her eye brow at him. "Claire, did you get

dizzy a lot when you were Pregnet?" Jack asked in a hinting fashion. "Yeah, doesn't every body?"

she asked, not quite sure where he was going with this. "well yes, mostly. But some more then

others. Did you have weird dreams?" he continued. "Yeah...why? What are you saying?" she asked

with a look of bewilderment. "I'm saying your pregnet"

To be continued....


	23. Three Simple Words

Disclaimer: Guess who doesn't own lost? Me! as for the chapter, sorry it got in later then expected but my computer stopped working last night, so I had to finish up today. Hope you enjoy it.

Alterarial10: Glad you liked it so much. I need to get that book your talking about. I've started to like Shannon to, although I don't know why. But I'm really excited about the next couple episodes, cause she's in it a lot. So yeah, sorry I took longer than expected.

FATE

Three Simple Words

"What?!" Claire asked, wide eyed, confused and a little defensive. "Your showing all the signs" he

replied simply. "What do you know? You're a bleeding spinal surgeon!" Claire protested

aggressively as she hopped off the table. "I went to medical school" He confirmed, remaining calm

despite the fact that she was lashing out on him. "Yeah well it doesn't take a doctor to tell that

your crazy and you obviously can't do that!" she yelled, grabbing the jacket that she'd kept with

her off the table. "What is that suppose to mean?" he asked sternly. "It means, I'm under stress,

Jack. It means some one is out there in the woods stalking me or following me, watching every

thing that I do! And who ever it is trying to destroy my family and I we have no way to stop them!

And now I'm having dreams and I'm getting sick and.." Claire began ranting, packing back and

forth in the room angrily. Her arms moving about wildly as she talked. "Claire, you not crazy" Jack

confirmed in a stern tone, his arms crossed over the clip board pressed agenst his chest. "Well I'm

not Pregnet either" she snapped before walking out. She stomped across the sand, holding

Charlie's jacket at her side. She spotted him out by the water with Ben, who had just tackled him.

He was holding him up with both arms as he laid half way in the water. Claire couldn't help but

smile as her anger melted away. She walked over and watched as the two played. Charlie noticed

her after a moment and smiled as he sat up. Ben went back on his feet and began splashing around

in the water. "Hey, mum" Charlie greet, smiling up at her as he crossed his legs. "Great, now I

have two kids" Claire said, sarcastically. Charlie just continued to grin and opened his arms in

reference to a hug. Claire stood with her arms crossed, a good distance from the water. "Oh no,

I'm not getting any where near you. Your just gonna pull me in." She confirmed, taking another

step back. "No I won't! Promise" he insisted. Claire gave him a skeptical look and remained in her

spot. "Fine, if you won't give me a hug, then...I'll give you one" she suggested, and pulled himself

off the ground. He hopped up and wrapped his arms around her, soaking wet. Claire continued to

laugh as she struggled playfully. He turned her around so she was facing him and gave her a short

kiss. Claire shook her head, pretending to not enjoy it. But the color of her cheeks spoke for her.

But the blush fadded as Shannon approached, looking a little offended. "Why didn't you tell me?"

she said with a playfully smile, giving Claire a little push on the arm. "Tell you-?" Claire asked in

confusion. "About the baby!" Shannon exclaimed, giving her another playful nudge. "What baby?"

Charlie asked, turning to Claire. "Oh god..." Claire muttered in a small state of shock. Shannon

gasped and covered her mouth. "You didn't tell him you were Pregnet yet? Oh my god, I'm so

sorry!" Shannon was babbling. Claire managed to drown her out. "Im not pregnet" Claire said,

shacking her head. Charlie looked like he was in complete shock. "I'm not" She confirmed, turning

to him. "But didn't Jack say-?" Shannon asked, now looking a little confused her self. "Don't

liston to what Jack says. He doesn't know what he's talking about" Claire protested, a little

resentfully. "Wait, wait. Jack said you were pregnet?" Charlie questioned, not really understanding

any of this. It was all coming at him way to fast. "Yes, Jack thinks I am. But I'm not" Claire

explained. "But...what if you are?" Charlie asked, still a little confused. "I'm not" Claire confirmed.

"But what if you are?" he repeated, clearly panicking. "Charlie, calm down, ok? I'm not. Jack just

got a crazy idea. If I was Pregnet, I'd know" Claire explained, looking him dead in the eye as she

held her hands on each shoulder. "Ok" he nodded, after a deep breath. "Your right, sorry. I

just...got a little freaked out there" he apologized, still breathing a little heavily. "Its alright" Claire

smiled, and gave him another kiss as she wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, ew. Get a room"

Shannon sighed in disgust with a roll of her eyes. Claire responded by sticking her toung out at her.

Shannon made an equally childish face. "That's mature" Boone noted. He was outside they're tent,

replacing the fire wood. Shannon made the same face at him, but added the middle finger. He

smiled and shook his head, dropping the fresh wood into the sand. He dusted his hands off and made his way over. "So, how you feeling?" He asked, turning to Claire. "Good" She nodded with a

smile. "That's good" he replied, returning the favor. "Ignore him. He just feels bad because he made

you pass out" Shannon apologized on her brother's behalf. "shut up, Shannon" Boone muttered,

shacking his head again. "You know what, Boone? I'm tired of you trying to tell me what to do!"

She snapped back. The two began arguing amongst themselves, while Charlie and Claire made a

quick break. He pulled her over by there tent, Where Ben had wondered off to. He was sitting in

the sand by the watter, keeping himself occupied. Once in 'safety', they two looked back. The two

continued their heated argument, waving obscene gestures at one another. "Man, I thought me and

my brother were bad" Charlie noted, laughing as he watched. "Thank god I'm an only child" Claire

giggled. Her attention was drown away with a rather loud crash coming from near by. More junk

was being lugged out of the fusel lodge and topped up on the enormous pile of soiled metal and

other forms of debree. The sand all around the outside had turned black, as well as anyone who

walked in a five foot radius of it. "What exactly are they trying to do?" Claire asked, taking a

couple steps away so as not to get dirty. She was already soaked thanks to Charlie, and wasn't in

the mood to was cloths again this week. "I'm not quite sure. I think they're just wanting to use the

parts, maybe make a shelter that is you know...tarp" Charlie explained. "Makes since" Claire

shrugged. They continued to watch as Sayid and Michael lugged out another hunk of metal and

tossed it up on the pile. A little cloud of smoke puffed out, causing them both to begin coughing

histaricly. They took a couple steps back to escape the down poor of ash, and soon began laughing.

"That's the last of it" Michael noted, with a look of accomplishment. For a moment, they could

bask in their accomplishment. That is, before the pile began to tumble over. The group simply

laughed, no damage had been done. "Poor guys can't get a break" Charlie noted as they watched

the group start a new pile. "Maybe you should go help" Claire suggested, turning to him. "Trying to get rid of me?" He asked sarcastically. "Yeah, go help so I can start my affair" She teased with a

smile. "As you wish" he sighed, and made his way over.

Claire sat at the edge of the water on top of a beach towel, wrighting in her journal. Ben played in

the water near by. The sun was begging to go down, and the fires were going up, one by one. She

looked around the island, watching her fellow survivors. She watched as Jack and Kate flirted over

by the fire, as Locke and walk sat on the sand playing backgammon, Vincent laying in the sand

beside him. Hurley was trying to talk with Sun witch seemed to involve a fishing net witch he'd

constructed. Shannon was walking from her tent. She went over to where Sayid was sitting, by

himself and sat down next to him. The two began talking in a friendly manner, and for once

Shannon didn't seem bratty or spoiled, she actually looked like a nice, friendly person. "Look at

those two" Charlie noted in mild disgust. Claire looked over her shoulder so see him kneeling

beside her. She hadn't heard him sit down. "What about them?" Claire asked, not seeing what was

wrong with the image. "They've been almost inseparable for the last three days" Charlie explained.

"Your point?" Claire asked with a smile, sitting up. Charlie thought for a moment. "I guess I don't

have one" he concluded with a shrug. Claire giggled and closed her journal, sticking the pin inside.

"So, how was your day at work?" She asked teasingly, looking back at the dusty ten foot pile of

debree stretched across the black spot on the island. "Brutal. Every bone in my _entire _body is soar!

I swear, English men weren't built for hard labor" he muttered sarcastically. "Not to mention, your

covered in ash" Claire added with a giggle. "Yeah, but that's the good part" He said with a sly

grin. "Why's that?" She asked, clearly not getting the hint. "Because now its your job to clean me

up" he explained with a suggestive grin. "Your horrible" Claire noted, as she smiled and shook her

head. "You love it" he confirmed, leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek. She pulled away, not wanting to get the ashes on her. "Oh come on" he whined playfully, wrapping his arms around her.

"Ew! Cut it out" she giggled, trying to push him off her. "Aw, your no fun" he sighed, giving in. He

sat up and leaned back on his arms. She threw her hair back over her shoulder, now half covered in

soot, herself. "Aw, look what you did" she sighed sarcastically, looking down at her black spotted

shirt. "You look like a dalmatian" he teased. She returned the favor by throwing her journal at him.

"You're an ass whole, you know that?" she teased, looking over at him as she tried to brush some

off the ash's off. "I know" he shrugged, then smiled as he leaned over to give her another kiss. She

hesitated for a moment, looking at him skeptically before she gave in. "Now, go change. You look

awful" She instructed playfully. He gave her another kiss and hopped up, pulling her with him.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she felt herself being dragged across the sand. "Come with

me" he insisted, pulling her with him towards the water. " No, no. Not this again" She protested,

trying to pull herself back. "Come on!" he insisted childishly, tugging at her sleeve. She'd managed

to regain her hand buy pulling it inside her shirt, but that didn't do much to stop him. "No. Its

freezing" She exclaimed in her defense. "Oh, not its not!" he assured, continuing to pull at her.

"Alright, fine. Damn your persistent" she gave in. "Thank you" he grinned, pulling her into his arms.

" besides, your just about as bad as me now" he added, taking another glance down at her once

white top, witch was now almost completely black. Claire grinned sarcastically and pushed him. He

stumbled back but pulled her down with him. The two tumbled into the water, laughing hysterically.

Charlie sat up, leaning back on his hands and shook his head, letting the water from his hair fly

every where. Claire rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh. He pulled his arms around her again and

leaned up to kiss her. She pulled her arms around his neck, her hands clinging to the back of his

soaked shirt. "Get a room!" Shannon called from her spot at the edge of the water. Charlie freed

one of his hands to flip her off without looking or stopping. Claire couldn't keep from laughing as she leaned her head agenst his chest, trying to catch her breath.

they made their way back to the tent. Ben had gone over to sit with Shannon and Sayid, now

between them, stareing out at the water. "Just think, pretty soon we'll be able to yell that back at

her" Charlie beamed as he searched the pile of cloths for a towel. Claire shook her head, smiling at

him skeptically. "Yeah, that's something to look forward to" She agreed sarcastically as she began

to pull off her shirt. Charlie stopped what he was doing and smiled over at her. "What?" she asked,

stopping half way. "Nothing. Keep going" he insisted playfully. Claire rolled her eyes and turned her

back to him. She pulled of the top and dug through the pile for another shirt. Charlie pulled his off

as well and tossed it aside. He walked back over and began looking for a clean shirt as well. Both

grabbed the same shirt at once, looked up at each other and began laughing. He let her have it and

continued looking. Claire pulled up the shirt, witch was a simple black button up that was to big for

both of them and pulled it on over the black tank shed recovered from the pile of cloths. She rolled

up the sleeves to her elbows and began buttoning. Charlie settled with one of his fadded black

drive-shaft T's and pulled it on over his head. "Man its cold" Claire noted, now looking for a dry

pair of pants. "Go start the fire" she instructed playfully, glancing up to flash him a smile. "Yes,

ma'am" he agreed, giving her a smack on the as before he went on his way. Claire shook her head

and continued digging. In a few moments she walked back out, wrapping her hair up in a bun as she

walked. A fire had been stared and Charlie sat on the beach towel she'd been using earlier, leaning

back agenst the plain. "That was fast" she noted, trying to pull tie the piece of string around her hair

without it falling. She failed, and the blond strands came tumbling down. "Damn it" she muttered

with frustration. "Come here" he suggested. She plopped down infront of him and handed him the

little black string. "I thought you said we weren't going to do each other's hair" She muttered

playfully , folding her arms around her knees. "I lied" he smiled, starting a long braid down her

back. "I should have known" she teased, smiling back at him. "Eyes forward" he instructed, turning

her head back around so she'd face forward. "yes, ma'am" she teased, rolling her eyes. "I saw that"

He muttered in a sarcastic motherly fashion. He finished the braid, and began twisting into a bun at

the back of her head. He wrapped the string around it and tied it up in a bow. "There" he said, once

finished, with an accomplish smile. "Wow" Claire said, patting the back of her head, "I didn't know

you were a women" she teased, smiling back at him. "No, I'm a British man" he corrected. "Same

thing" she joked. "Then I suppose that makes you a lesbian" he teased, resting his head on her

shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Shut up" Claire muttered, rolling her eyes. She

leaned back agenst him, laying her head back on his chest, with her arms placed over his as they

pulled tighter around her waist. The fire crackled before them as the sky grew dark. From the

distance, they could hear Shannon cracking up about something Sayid, or possibly Ben had said. "So,

how long before you think they hook up?" Charlie asked conspicuously, talking into her ear. "I don't

know" Claire replied simply. "Isn't it possible that they're just friends?" she asked, turning to look at

him over her shoulder. "Um...no" He replied sarcastically. Claire gave him an affectionate nudge and

leaned back again, tilting her head up to look at the stars, witch shown for the first time in a while.

Normally the sky was black. But they didn't last for long, soon the clouds came rolling over and rain

poured down. Shannon took Ben for the night, wanting to spend time with her buddy. Charlie and

Claire rushed inside the tent. "Jesus, how many times am I going to get soaked today?" Claire sighed,

shivering as she made it inside. Charlie smiled, and wrapped the towel around her to help warm her

up. "Thanks" She smiled, and gave him a quick kiss. She waited for a moment until she was warm

before going over to the bed. She flopped down on top of the blankets with a sigh. It felt good to be in bed after watching a toddler and being thrown in water all day. Charlie grinned, and dove down beside

her. She pulled the blankets up and snuggled agenst him, ready to pass out. Charlie nuzzled his face

agenst the back of her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. She

turned to give him a good night kiss before laying her head on the pillow. They were asleep in a mater

of seconds. It wasn't until hours later, after the rain had stopped that Claire woke up again. Not

because of a dream, but because of the strange feeling in her stomach. She was sweating a lot, despite

the cold air. She walked outside, headed in an unsteady path towards the part of the woods used as a

bath room. She dropped to her knees as soon as she reached it and began throwing up. Strands of hair

witch had fallen from the bun clung to her skin as she gagged, holding her stomach the entire time.

Once finished, she leaned back agenst the rock, breathing heavily, sweat poring down her face. She

wipe some off with the back of her hand, along with tears from the watering in her eyes. The other hand

lay limply across her stomach. She sniffed for a moment, feeling a little light headed. She felt someone's

presence and looked up. Jack was standing close by, although he kept a good distance, unable to see

through the trees in the dark. "Claire, is that you?" he called from his spot in the sand. "Yeah" She

replied hoarsely, pulling herself up. "Are you alright?" he asked, once she emerged from the trees. She

looked like a mess, and the sparkling streaks running down the side of her face made it look as though

she'd been crying. After a moment, she sniffed again, and tears poured down for no reason at all. Claire

sobbed, and tried again to wipe some of the moisture from her face. "Claire, what's wrong" he asked

sympathetically, he took a few steps forward closing the space between them, but wasn't sure if he

should hug her. "Im' Pregnet" Claire sobbed, and laid her head agenst him. Slowly, he moved his hand

up to pat her back, and after a moment, began laughing to himself. "What's wrong?" Kate asked,

running up to them. "She's pregnet" Jack whispered. Kate snickered, and covered her mouth to keep

from laughing. Claire turned her head, trying to hide her face. "Aw, come here" Kate said sympathetically, and held her arms out. Claire turned to her, laying her head on Kate's shoulder as she

continued to cry. Claire patted her back, sympathetically. Watching Jack pace back and forth

uncomfortably. "Its ok, sweetie" Kate tried to comfort her. Claire looked up, wiping her eyes again.

"What am I going to tell Charlie?" she asked softly. "Tell him your Pregnet" Kate told simply. "No, its

not that easy" Claire protested, plopping down on the rock. "Maybe I should go" Jack suggested,

looking a little uncomfortable. "No, you stay right hear! This is your fault" Claire demanded, having a s

sudden brush of anger. "What? How is it my fault?" Jack questioned defensively. "You're the one who

told me I was Pregnet, ass whole!" she explained. "Well you're the one who didn't believe me. Besides,

it's really not that bad" He assured, trying to keep her calm. "Not that bad?! When's the last time you

had a baby coming out of your vagina?!" she snapped in return. "Hey, people are trying to sleep hear!"

Hurly yelled from his tent near by. "Screw you!" Claire called back from her spot on the rock. "Hey!"

Hurly called out angrily, poking his head out from inside the tent. He stopped for a moment, looking

surprised. "Claire?" he asked, rasing an eye brow. Claire was always nice, no mater what. Claire's

mouth dropped, realizing what she just said. "I'm so sorry" She apologized, trying not to laugh. Hurly

just stood there, continuing to look confused. After a moment, Jack and Kate started cracking up as

well.

Charlie woke up to see Claire sitting infront of him with her legs pulled up to her chest. Her arms were

folded across her knees, her chin rested on top, stareing back at him. He smiled, for a moment, happy

to see her. Then he noticed the streaks going down her face. "Claire, what's wrong?" he asked, sitting

up with a worried look. She hadn't cried since earlier that night, but the feeling still remained. "Charlie,

I don't really know how to say this, so I'm just going to say it" She began, looking a little nervous.

Charlie just stared back, waiting for an answer. "I'm Pregnet" he finished, looking down at her knees.

Charlie Stared for a moment in shock, then slowly a smile crossed his face. Soon, that turned int a huge

grin. "Claire, that's wonderful!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms around her. "Really, your

not...upset?" she asked, looking up at him. "No, of chorse not. Why would I be?" he asked, still

grinning. "Because men are useless" she replied playfully, remembering some of the first words he'd

ever spoken to her. Charlie smiled, pressing his forehead agenst hers. He held his hand at the back of

her neck, and pulled her into a kiss. "I love you" he beamed after a moment, once their lips had parted.

"I know" she replied teasingly.

Claire was greeted by a high pitched squill as she walked out side. Shannon nearly tackled her as soon

as she emerged from the tent. "Oh my god! This is so great!" She babble with excitement. "I can't

believe your Pregnet, again!" she squealed, and gave her another hug. "Uh...thanks?" Claire muttered,

not really knowing what to say. "Aw, another baby" Shannon began rambling again, more excited then

the two of them put together. Charlie gave Claire a glance, then looked back at Shannon, who was still

talking. "Oh, and by the way, Congradlations" She stopped abruptly, the shrillness fadded from her

voice. Claire smiled aprecativly. "And, uh....nice going Charlie" she grinned suggestively and gave a

little wink. Charlie looked down, slightly embarrassed. "Alright, well I'll let you two go...celebrate of

what ever you plan to do" she finished, and began walking over to where the others were working. She

stopped behind Sayid and tapped on his shoulder. He looked up and smiled, the two began talking. " I

told you" Charlie whimpered. "Cut it out" Claire scolded, as they walked down the beach. Claire

stopped when she saw Ben running over. He hugged her legs, unable to reach any higher. "Hey,

sweetie" she beamed, kneeling down to hug him. "Thanks for watching him" She then added, looking

over at Boone, who was sitting outside their tent. "Don't thank me, thank Shannon. She did the most

part" he explained friendly. "Oh, and congratulations by the way" he added with a smile. "Thanks" Claire said, blushing a little. "We plan to hear that a lot today" Charlie confirmed, putting his arm

around her after she stood back up. "Yeah, probably" Boone agreed. Ben had a sudden idea, and ran

across the beach to some one else. "Hey dude" Hurly greet, sitting up form his spot on the sand. He'd

been trying to sleep all morning, it was no use. Claire and Charlie continued walking, hand in hand, be

congratulated by every one they passed. Charlie thought about the day they first meet, when he helped

her with her bags and told her men were useless. He remembered going out to find her every day since

then, being constantly drone to her. Remembering how he wanted her more than anything in the world

and all the stupid attempt he made to get her to like him as he stared down at her hand wrapped in his

and got an idea.

Claire out on the rocks with a blanket over her lap. The wind was blowing strong and the waves got

closer and closer to her feet each time. Vincent laid beside her, curled up over the blanket with his head

on her lap, stareing at the water. She glanced over at Charlie, who was laying on his stomach some

ways down the line, over by the others. He noticed her, and smiled back before laying his head back

down. She went back to her wrighting.

_Well, its official, Claire's Pregnet again. Its been a little _

_over a year since Benjamin was born, and now another _

_little brother or sister's on its way. But this time, its _

_Charlie's, so I don't have to worry. _

She stopped wrighting when she felt Vincent lift his head up. He was stareing at the water. After a s

second, he hopped up, and gave a little bark at the waves. She sat up, trying to see what he was looking

at. She saw it after a moment and leaned over, pulling the little jar out of the water. Soon, she

recognized it as the empty peanut butter jar Charlie had once shown her. Except this time, it wasn't

empty. There was a little piece of paper folded up inside. She struggled to twist off the top, witch had

been tightly sealed so that no water seeped in, and finally got it open. A smile crossed her face as she

unfolded the paper. She looked over at Charlie, who was pretending not to pay attention. Quickly, she

tossed the blankets off and hopped up, walking over to him with the paper in her hand. She stood over

him, smiling hugely. He turned and looked up at her with a faint smile. Slowly, he sat up and she put

her hand out to help him the rest of the way. "I love you" she whispered, standing rather close. He slid

his arm around her waist and pulled her in the rest of the way to him before planting one on her. She

pulled her arms around his shoulders, letting the paper with the words "will you marry me?" written in

black Sharpy dangle from her hand.


	24. The Box

Disclaimer: I still don't own lost. Maybe someday, not today. But as for this chapter, it contains some real french, and I don't mean cussing, so bare with me. If you know French, great. If you don't, it doesn't matter because it all gets translated eventually. I'm just giving you a little warning.

**Alterarial10: I'm glad you liked it. I've got a couple British men for friends, so I say that line constantly and I felt obligated to toss it in there. Also, I plan to throw in some more Shannon-related stuff just for you. **

**A A Battery: Glad you liked it so much, but don't expect it to stay all happy forever. **

**Evil spiked black star: I'd have to agree with you 100, great to have a new reader.**

**ophelianpain19: Thanks for the offer, I know my spelling is pretty bad even with spell check. I haven't looked over any of the recent chapters myself, but I was told that my spelling had improved so I sort of just ignored it. I really do appreciate you offering to take your time out to do this, but personally, I like to get my updates in as soon as I finish them because so many people ask me to 'update soon', other wise I'd probably read them over myself. But thanks again, and I change my mind I'll let you know.**

FATE

The Box

"Wow, this is a little weird" Claire said, still smiling brightly. "Yeah...weird, good, right?" Charlie

confirmed, looking back up at her. "Yeah" she assured, and continued playing with his hair. He

was laying on his back, resting his head in her lap as she sat up, with the blanket wrapped around

her torso. "I love you" he said once again, grinning up at her. "You've said that already" She

reminded him. "well, I'm saying it again" he replied, sitting up on his knees. "And again, and

again, and again" he continued, kissing her each time he said "again". Claire giggled, and began to

blush. "Well, I love you two" She assured, kissing once again. Charlie laid back agenst the

pillows with his hands behind his head. "We should get some sleep. We've got another long day

of congratulations ahead of us." he suggested. "Oh, goodie" Claire muttered sarchasticly as she

laid down next to him.

"Hey, guys" Claire greeted as she dropped her bag of cloths on the sand. The three girls were

sitting around the laundry bucket as they did every Wednesday, washing cloths. "What are you so

happy about?" Kate asked suggestively as Claire took her usual spot between Shannon and Sun.

Claire looked away innocently, as if she didn't have a secret in the world. "Oh my god! What

happened?" Shannon begged excitedly. Claire looked down at her knees as she held up her left

hand, indicating to the index finger where one of Charlie's wrings was placed. For a moment, none

of them seemed to get it. They exchanged a few glances, then looked back to the ring. Then finally,

a light bulb went off. "He didn't!" Shannon had a look of shock on her face. "He did" Claire

confirmed shyly. She prepared her self for one of Shannon's high pitch squalls, but didn't receive

one. Instead, Shannon leaned over and hugged her happily. "Congratulations ...again" Kate said,

keeping her distance on the other side of the bucket, but maintained an kind smile. "Thanks" Claire

beamed over Shannon's shoulder, unable to free herself from her death-lock hug. Finally, Shannon

let go and sat back in her spot, smiling sweetly. Poor Sun still looked confused. "She's getting

married, isn't that great?" Shannon said, giving her a clue without being obvious. "Oh, wonderful"

Sun exclaimed. "When's the date?" Shannon asked, excitedly. "We don't know yet, we didn't

really talk about it much" Claire explained, looking down at her finger the entire time. "Yeah, I'm

sure you were busy with other things" Kate noted with a suggestive little grin. "Shut up" Claire

muttered, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Charlie made his way over to the fuselodge where the guys were working. "Hey, Charlie. Heard

the good news" Boone called from behind him as he walked up. "Oh, uh. Thanks" Charlie said a

little uncomfortably. "What is that?" Sayid questioned, moving some stuff around from the pile of

metal. "Oh, uh. I'm engaged" Charlie explained, trying to keep it casual. Sayid, and the other four

around him stopped what they were doing. "Really, when did this happen?" Jack asked, suddenly l

looking interested. "Last night" Charlie answered uncomfortably. He didn't really want all the

attention focused on him. "Wow, that's great, man" Michael chimed in, giving him a pat on the

shoulder. "Yeah, dude. Congradlations" Hurly added. "Thanks, guys. Now, can we get to work?"

Charlie asked, despretly wanting to change the subject. "Yeah, sure" Jack agreed, and within

moments the guys were back on the job. But that didn't stop them from asking questions. "So,

dose this mean we get some kind of...bachelors party?" Boone asked after a while. "No, I don't

think so" Charlie assured, still trying to change the subject. "Yeah, what's the point without a

stripper?" Jack inquired sarcastically. "Well, we could always barrow Kate" Sowyer teased. Jack

shot him an angry look, witch he ignored. Charlie blocked them out, gazing across the beach at

Claire, who was looking equally annoyed with the new wave of excitement. "Hey, guys. I'm gonna

take a break, get some water" Charlie explained, dropping his last piece of metal into a pile. "Yeah,

sure" Jack gave to ok, and he was off. He made his way over to the table, witch was almost chiefly

covered in water bottles and grabbed one. Across the table, at the other end where a huge pile of

papers lay, he spotted Shannon, sitting in a chair looking over some rather large papers. Sayid was

standing over here, pointing at the sheet in her hand. Charlie turned away, trying to meddle in other

peoples affairs. He knew full well how annoying that could be. He took a sip from the bottle and

started to walk away when he was stopped by Shannon. "Hey, Charlie, could you come hear real

quick" She called in a friendly manner. _What the hell has gotten into this girl? _"Uh, yeah sure" He

replied, not able to think up an excuse to get him out of it. "In your band, you guys traveled a lot

right?" She asked, looking up at him from the papers. "Yeah, why?" he questioned, caught off gard.

He was expecting to hear something about the wedding, not about travel. "Did you ever go to

France?" she continued, ignoring his question. "Yeah" he answered, looking a little confused. "Oh

good! Then you can help me translate!" she exclaimed as she grabbed his arm with a surprisingly

strong grip and pulled him into the chair next to her. "Ok" he agreed, seeing as he didn't really have

a choice. "What are we translating?" he asked, looking at the paper with a bunch of strange labeled

drawings. "They're maps, I think of the island. I took them from Danielle's cave" Sayid explained,

leaning between the two. "Oh, you mean the crazy lady who tried to kill my fiancee?" He asked a

little resentfully, looking up at Sayid. "That's the one" he confirmed. "So wait, if you can speak

French, why didn't you translate the transmison?" Shannon asked suddenly, shifting in her chairs to

face him. "I never said I was good at it" Charlie explained. "Ho, well...neither am I. But hey, two

heads are better then one, right?" she noted optamisticly, then went back to reading. "Uh...sure"

Charlie agreed, eyeing her strangely. What has gotten into her? He glance up at Sayid, who was

looking over her shoulder. Oh, right. Charlie thought, then went back to his section of the map. He

sat, tapping his pin agenst the table as he read. The whole thing didn't make much since to him,

seeing that he was only in Paris for a couple of weeks and didn't really have to speak the language

much. But he managed to make out bits and pieces, and for a while he felt like he was actuary

contributing. "How long did you live in Paris?" Sayid asked, talking directly to Shannon as he

leaned over her shoulder. "Only for a summer. I was just there on vacation." She explained in a

friendly tone. "Shopping, of course" she added a little self consciously. Sayid smiled. "I miss

shopping" she sighed, resting her cheek agenst her first as her elbo rested on the table. Charlie

shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't stand being around people who were flirting, and the fact that it

was Shannon made it all the harder to bare. He'd held a secret grudge agenst her ever since she lead

him on and tricked him into catching her dinner, and didn't even thank him after wards. And now

she wanted to be all timid and sweet with her new best friend. He didn't buy it for a second, and the

thought of her using another guy made him sick. So he blocked them out, and tried to think of a

reason to leave. He reached across the table to grab his water bottle, when he noticed it was gone.

Claire stood infront of him, with the water bottle in her hands.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in an attempt to read the paper as she

twisted the top back on. "Uh, translating. Or atleast, trying to" He explained. Claire set the bottle

down and rested her hand on the table as she looked over the map. The other hand rested on his

shoulder. For a little while he forgot about Shannon, that is, until she started talking again. "Aw.

You guys are so cute together" she teased, wrinkling up her nose. "I wish I could say the same"

Charlie mumbled under his breath, just low enough so that she couldn't hear him. But Claire heard

him well enough and gave him a little slap on the chest. "I can't wait until the wedding" Shannon

was going on without taking notice to either of them. "When is it again?" She asked, looking up at

Claire. "We still don't know" Claire reminded sweetly. Charlie rolled his eyes. "Well you too better

figure it out. Can't keep us in suspense forever" she told, chewing on the tip of her pin. "Yes, well.

Perhaps we'll go talk about it now" Charlie said bitterly as he hoped out of his chair. He began

walking off alone, but Claire quickly caught up to him. "Charlie, are you ok?" She asked, pulling on

his arm so he'd face her. "Yeah, I'm fine" he assured, not wanting to worry her."are you sure? You

were acting kind of..strange, back there" She told. "Well, im fine" he insisted, coming off definitive.

He didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but the whole situation had him on edge. He couldn't

explain why he had been so rude. It was simply impulse. But the look on Claire's face made him

reconsider his actions. Being rude to Shannon was one thing, but being rude to Claire was a whole

nother world of regret. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound mad. I am fine, though. Really" He

apologized. "Then why were you acting like that?" She questioned, eyeing him strangely. "I

just...don't like her" he explained as simply as he could. He didn't know how else to explain it.

"Why? What did she do?" Claire asked, not at all understanding. "She didn't _do _anything" he tried

to explain. Claire wasn't the type to understand resentment. She'd probably never thought of

revenge in her life, nor jealousy for that mater. She was always so trusting, how could he explain

why he just couldn't stand to be around that spoiled brat. "Well, then why don't you like her?" she

repeated persistently, determined to pull it out of him. "I don't know, Claire" he answered, hoping

that if he kept this up she'd let it go. "Well there has to be a reason! You can't just _not_ like

someone!" She demanded. "I can" he confirmed simply. "Charlie, why can't you just tell me?" that

did it. There was no getting out of it now. "Alright, fine. A long time ago, before you and I were

together...I was getting a little depressed, and Shannon showed up...and she was really nice to me.

And she needed some one to help her out, with fishing. So me and Hurly wasted a whole day and I

managed to catch one measly fish, because I though maybe if I did her a favor we could be friends

or something...but no, she was just..using me!" Charlie explained vividly. Claire nodded as he

talked, trying to keep up. "So, yeah. That's why" he finished plainly with a little shrug. Claire

covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. "What?" Charlie looked up a bit defensively. Claire just s

snickered a little, and tried her best not to laugh. "What? This amuses you? I spill my guts out and

now your laughing at me?" He pretended to be offended, witch only made her laugh more. "Aw,

your jealous" she teased, after gaining control over herself. "I'm not jealous" he confirmed sternly.

"Yes you are. You had a crush, and now your jealous" she contradicted him. "No" was the best

argument he could think up at the moment. "Its ok, Charlie. I'm not going to get angry." She

assured him. "That's not why I'm denying it" he lied, but it seemed like a good idea. "Oh come on.

You think I've never looked at any one on this island but you?" She asked sarcastically, crossing

her arms. "You have?" he asked accusingly, acting as if he were hurt. "There's that jealously again"

she noted triumphantly. "I'm not-" he tried to protest, but only finished with a sigh of frustration.

"Fine, I'm a little jealous" he admitted angrily. "There, doesn't telling the truth feel better?" she

teased in a motherly fashion, wrapping her arms around him. "No" he muttered childishly, but

hugged her back all the same. "Well, if its any consolation, I didn't like Shannon that much either

when I first meet her, but she's changed a lot since we first came hear, and she's actually really nice

once you get used to her" Claire explained optamisticly. "Really? Is that why you avoid her

constantly?" he teased, pressing his forehead agenst hers. "I don't avoid her..."Claire lied

innocently. "Uh,hu. Sure" he muttered septically. "Hey, you're the one with crush issues hear, not

me. So go over there and...be nice" Claire ordered jokenly, pointing her finger, witch was

overwhelmed by the sleeve of her shirt, in the direction where Shannon was continuing to read the

maps alone. "Do I have to?" Charlie whined in a childish voice. "Yes" Claire confirmed. "Alright, I'll

play nice" he sighed in surrender. "Good" she smiled, and gave him a little peck before heading off

to the girls.

Charlie watched her leave for a moment before heading over to the table. He sat back down in his

seat and unfolded the map, uncomfortably. "Did you guy's just have an argument?" Shannon asked,

turning in her seat to face him. "Huh? No" he answered after a moment, looking up from his paper.

"Oh ok. It kind of looked like you were fighting from here" she explained. He gave a short smile, not

seeing how that was possible, but decided to go along with it. "Where's Sayid?" He asked after

another moment, thinking up random things to say. "Oh, he went over to help the guys with the

broken plain stuff" Shannon explained. Charlie nodded. "How's the translation thing going?" he

questioned, quickly finding a new topic. "Eh, not so good. I can only figure out bits and pieces so

none of it really makes much since" she told, folding her legs up into the chair as she tapped the pin

agenst her lower lip. Charlie nodded, taping his hands on the edge of the table. _This was going to be _

_harder than he'd thought. _"Le fleuve fonctionne par la caverne" Shannon was reading out loud,

squinting at the tiny wrighting on the map. "The something runs through the caves" she translated

thoughtfully, trying to detect the missing word. "What was the something again?" Charlie asked,

hoping he could help. "Flew-v?" she answered, trying to pronounce the word. "Oh, fleuve. That's

river" he explained casualty. "Oh. Great. So that means 'the river runs through the cave'" she

confirmed, and began wrighting it down. "Alright, what's next?" he asked, mildly enthused. Atleast

they were making progress, he thought, leaning over the arm of his chair to see the map. "Ok, then

we have 'Le fleuve fonctionne dans le medow ouvert, où la bataille a eu lieu', witch would mean 'the

river then runs into a meadow ... something, something, something...took place" she explained. "Any

ideas?" she asked, turning to him. Charlie thought for a moment. "Nope. I have no idea what that

means" he confirmed finally. "Great" Shannon smiled sarcastically, then frowned at the map.

_Wonderful, just when we were makeing a break through. Now I'm going to have once again battle _

_the silence. _Charlie thought to himself bitterly, then it hit him. " wait ,'bataille', that's what you said

right?" Charlie asked suddenly. "Yeah." Shannon answered, a little startled by his sudden out burst.

"'bataille', that's 'battle', isn't it?" he asked excitedly. "I dunno" Shannon responded, but kept up the

enthuasum. "It is. It means battle, the battle" Charlie confirmed with a triumphant grin. "The medow

where the battle took place..that's what it says! You're a genus!" Shannon exclaimed, now joining in

on the excitement. "I know!" Charlie agreed happily. They both laughed for a moment, basking in

their accomplishment. Then Shannon's laugh fadded out into a sigh of worry. "Wait. Battle? What

battle?" she asked, looking back to the map. "Must have happened before we got here" Charlie

suggested, looking over as well. Shannon found the spot she had read from and lifted the paper up,

holding it up for a closer look. "Doesn't that kind of look like the caves?" she asked, turning to him.

"Kind of. But theres no river running through the caves" Charlie explained. "Are there meadow's?"

She asked, almost ignoring his remark. "There's a meadow" Charlie answered. "Well then maybe

that's it." She suggested brightly. "I guess it could be" Charlie shrugged. "Lets keep going" She

suggested after a thoughtful sigh. "You're the boss" Charlie agreed, and they continued working.

Claire walked up to the pile of ash and metal witch the majority of males on the island were working.

She could no longer sit around listening to Kate, who for some reason felt obligated to brag on and

on about her wonderfully sex life. She stood by the pile awkwardly and waited for someone to notice.

"Hey, Claire. What's wrong?" Jack asked after a moment, once looking up from the pile he'd been

working on. "Nothing. I was just wondering if I could help, maybe" she suggested shyly, brushing a

strand back behind her ear. "Oh, no. I don't think there's much you could do right now" He

explained, pretending to think about it. A while ago, she would have argued with him about it for a

while and eventually made him feel bad enough to give her some pointless job, but in this modern day

and age Claire was to tired to argue. So she decided to trust Jacks advice. "Oh, alright. Well, let me

know if you find something" She said timidly, and began walking away. Jack stopped what he was

doing. He'd prepared himself for a battle, and Claire was not one to so easily decline. "Claire, are you

feeling alright?" he called out, with a slight look of worry. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she

replied, turning back to face him. "Nothing, you just..never mind" he began to explain, but cut himself

off. No use in arguing. "You sure?" she asked, taking a couple steps forward. "Yeah, its just...you

normally are a little more..persistent" he explained, makeing sure he worded it properly. "Well, I

though that if you didn't want me working it was probably something about my health, or the baby or

something relatively important, and hey, you're the doctor" She rambled on in her explanation. Jack

looked a little surprise. "Well, that's a first" he noted. "What is?" Claire questioned, once again

pushing the lose strand back behind her ear. "You listening to me" he answered shortly. "Oh, that.."

Claire laughed. "yeah. I thought I'd try something new for a change" She joked. Jack smiled as he

plopped down another piece of metal. "How's that working out for you?" he asked jokenly, looking

up from where he now knelt beside the pile. "We'll see" Claire shrugged. At that moment the neighboring pile began to shift. One medium sized sheet of shrapnel tumbled down from the top, and

almost hit Jack. He looked up to see the metal piece being held in mid air between Claire's hands.

"Nice catch" he noted as he stood to his feet. "Thanks. What do you want me to do with it?" She

asked, holding the scrap between her sleeve-covered hands as she waited for his response. "Oh, just

throw it on the pile" he explained, giving a weak gesture towards the one he'd stared. She tossed it

over and dusted off her sleeves. "You know, that thing could have nocked me out pretty bad if you

hadn't caught it. Maybe you can be of some help after all' Jack suggested thoughtfully. "Ok, what do

you want me to do?" Claire asked agreeable. "Just, stay there and make sure nothing kills me" He

explained simply. "Works for me" Claire shrugged, and continued to do as told.

"So let me get this straight. You want to go into the caves and look for an under ground river,

correct?" Charlie asked, looking back at Shannon as if she were insane. "It'll help them find out more

about the crazy chick. I mean come on, she won't tell us anything since they locked her up in the

caves, this may be out next clue" Shannon insisted passionately. He'd never once sceen her act as if

she cared so much about the french transmission ever since they'd came to the island. Charlie

considered the idea for a moment. "Your really fixed on this, aren't you?" he asked after a moment,

turning back to her. She nodded. "Alright. Talk to Jack about it" Charlie agreed. "No, I can't!"

Shannon protested, grabbing the side of his arm. "Why not?" Charlie questioned, definitively pulling

his arm away. "Because then he won't let me go!" Shannon explained. Charlie looked shocked. "Wait.

You want to go with them?" he asked in disbelief. "Yes!" She insisted once again. "Why?" he asked

sharply. "Because, I'm tired of being treated like I'm useless" She explained. This caught Charlie off

gard. It reminded of him when they first got on the island, that way he felt. Useless. He'd earned a

couple honor badges since then, but was still able to sympathies with what she was feeling. "Alright. Then what do you suggest?" He asked, shifting in his chair. "What if we went. Just me and you" She

suggested a little nervously. "Without the others knowing" She added, trying to keep a hopeful look

despite the way his expression dropped. "Are you mad? I'm not going in there! I can't go around

risking my life any more" he exclaimed defensively. "So what? You finally get your life back and now

your just gonna lock yourself up in your safe little suburban paradise? Your stranded on a god damned

island, Charlie. Remember? And I don't know about you, but some of us are doing our best to get

home!" Shannon protested angrily, hopping out of her chair. "Some of you haven't done shit but

whine and paint your nails! I've done a hell of a lot for the island, alright? How many times did you

almost die since we've been hear besides your little panic attacks?" he shot back, standing up as well.

"You see? This Is exactly what I'm talking about! I know I've done nothing to help, but I'm trying. I

want to make up for that!" Shannon explained persistently, her anger lowering a bit. Charlie's dropped

as well. "Well that doesn't mean you have to drag me along with you. I've done my part, and I'm

finished" he confirmed sternly. For a moment Shannon looked disappointed, and a little hurt. "I

understand. I just thought since you used to get kicked around when we first got here, you might be

the one who'd help me. But I guess I was wrong." With that she walked away, leaving him drowning

in a sea of guilt.

Claire stood, holding a small stack of debree in her arms for Jack, as continued digging through his pile

for anything usefully. Unluckily for them, so far the only thing worth saving was the none warped

pieces of metal. Jack worked silently, and for a while she began to wonder witch was worse, listening

to Kate talk about him, or listening to him not talk at all. She was startled out of her train of thought

when Locke tapped her on her shoulder. She turned around quickly. "Hear, I found this. I had your

name on it" Locke explained, holding out a tank shoe box. Her name was written across the top of it. Claire stared down at the unfamiliar item with a look of confusion.

"Something wrong?" Jack asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he walked over. It was the most

he'd said in the past half hour. "No, not at all" she assured him, snapping out of her gaze. "Thanks" She

added, turning to Locke. He smiled and nodded appreciatively before going back to his pile. "So what's

in the box?" Jack asked in a friendly fashion once Locke had left. Claire bit her lip, trying to think.

She'd never sceen the box before in her life, but a part of her wanted to keep it. After all, her name was

on it so it must be meant for her. "Oh, nothing really. Just some little personal things" She explained.

"Oh, alright" he smiled, and walked and went back to work. Claire broke away after a while and headed

back to the tent. She sat down on the bed with the box on her lap, stareing at the top. Something about

it seemed so strangely familiar. Finally, she brought up the courage to open it. Slowly, she lifted of the

top and set it a side. Inside, lay a big white flower, an envelope, a necklace and a folded up note all laid on top of light

blue crate paper. Claire lifted the envelope and opened it, suddenly a memory flew back.

"_Hear, hunny look at this." Claire called, from the arm chair. Thomas walked over and knelt down on _

_at her side. She perked up a bit and cleared her throat. "'Dear Mum and Dad, Its been a while since _

_we've heard from you. Christmas is coming up and I hope to hear from you and the rest of the family _

_soon. Can't wait to see you both, and I know your both arcticus to hear about your little grand-kid. So _

_for now, hears a picture. Miss you both, love Thomas and Claire" She read out loud from the paper in _

_her hand. "So what do you think?" she asked excitedly, turning to him. "I think its prefect. They'll love _

_it" Thomas grinned. "hear, sign it" Claire instructed cheerfully, and handed him the card. Thomas _

_took the paper and leaned it down on the coffee table, quickly scribbling his name. "You didn't sign it" _

_he pointed out, looking back up at her. "Oh, right. Pregnancy makes you forget things some times" _

_Claire explained_, _patting_ _her four-month pregnet belly as a reminder. "Here, I'll sign it for you" he _

_offered, and continued scribbling with the pin. "You really think they'll like it?" Claire asked, looking _

_down at the card once he'd handed it back to her. "I'm positive they will" he assured, and gave her a _

_kiss on the cheek. Claire smiled and slid the paper into the envelop, along with sonogram photo._

Claire now stared at the note she'd written to her parents as a tear rolled down her cheek. She glanced at

her name witch was signed on the card, then at the lid of the box, where her name had been scribbled. The

hand wrighting was identical. She thought for a moment, then turned the picture around. On the back,

another note was written, but it haden' been there when she'd put the note in. It was in Thomas's hand

wrighting as well. Before she could read it, the sound of the door flap rustling made her jump. She looked

up to se Charlie walk inside. "Claire, what's wrong?" he asked, quickly, kneeling beside her. Another tear

rolled down her cheek as she stared up at him. He looked at the square, black and white photo in her hand.

A small smile drew across his face. "This is Ben" he noted, beaming down at the paper. His gaze shifted to

the box and the few things inside it. "Where did you get all this?" he asked, the concern returning in his

voice. "Locke found it in with the wreckage" Claire explained with a sniff, wiping the tears off her check.

Charlie stated at her sympathetically, not knowing what to say. So instead, he shifted over and put his arms

around her, letting her lay her head agenst his shoulder. For a while, they stayed in silence as Claire cried

soundlessly agenst his chest, letting it all out. Charlie looked up and smiled when he saw Ben make his way

in. Claire looked up and quickly wiped away her tears once again, not wanting to for her son to see her cry.

"What's this?" he asked, picking up the sonogram photo. "That's you, before you were born" Claire

explained, the sadness completely disappeared from her voice. "Will we see one of the new baby?" he asked

optimistically. "Not unless Jack keeps X-rays in his back pocket" Charlie joked, keeping his arm around

Claire's shoulder. Ben looked a little disappointed, but it only lasted for a second. "Come on, lets get you

to bed" Charlie suggested as he lifted Ben off the ground and moved him over to his own bed, witch was

actually one of the broken air line seats leaned all the way back with a pillow and a blanket. He snuggled under the covers and closed his eyes, giving on fight at all. Claire closed up the box and set it under the

table before sliding into bed with Charlie. He pulled his arms around her and pressed his forehead agenst

hers. She gently placed a hand on his neck and tilted her head to give him a good night kiss before closing

her eyes.

Charlie lied awake thinking to himself once again. Claire had fallen asleep quickly, as usual, as did Ben. He

tried to clear his mind, but couldn't get Shannon's words out of his head. After a while, he pulled himself

up out of bed and got dressed before heading over to Shannon and Boone's tent. He reached the tent and

carefully pushed the door open so as not to wake any one. To the right, Boone slept on his back with one

hand behind his head in what looked like a sleeping bag. To the left, Shannon lie curled in a ball with the

blankets kicked to the bottom of a make-shift bed much like his own. He slowly made his way inside and

gave her a little nudge on the shoulder. She rolled over half way and looked up at him through confused,

half shut eyes. "Charlie?" she asked, stareing up at him. "What are you doing here?" she added sheepishly

as she sat up. "Come on, get dressed" he instructed in a low whisper. "Why?" she questioned, not yet

awake enough to understand what was going on. "Were going to the caves, come on" he insisted. A smile

drew across her face as the light blob went on. "Alright...just give me a minute to get dressed" she

suggested, trying to hide her excitement. He nodded and began heading back outside to wait. "Oh, and

Charlie" she called softly, stopping him before he reached the door. "Thanks" She said aprecativly. "No

probably" he assured, giving her a shot smile before heading out.


	25. Peanut

Disclaimer: guess what I don't own?

Anyways, this chapter was dedicated to an extremely cute picture some one made at If you want to see it, and I recommend you do, go here: ?namecoppermine&filedisplayimage&album106&pos6

sorry about the last update, I would have had it in sooner but there was something wrong with the server and the site wouldn't let me log in.

Alterarial10: I'll pull the wedding in really soon, probably in the next update.

FATE

Peanut

"Man, its dark in here" Shannon noted as she fallowed Charlie trough the cave with a flash light in

hand. "Well, in the cave defense it is after all, a cave" Charlie replied without looking back as he

ran his free hand along the walls of the cave. "Yeah, I know. Its just really dark. And dirty, and a

little creepy. You sure this was a good idea?" she asked, taking a sew quick steps forward to meet

up with him. "It was your idea" he reminded impatiently. "Oh..right" she replied, a little

embarrassed. She continued walking very close, keeping just behind him as she waved the light

around in what ever direction she happened to be looking. "So what do you think my brothers

gonna do when he finds out that I'm up in the caves makeing an effort?" she asked, determined to

keep up conversation. "I have no idea" Charlie assured, determined to keep the talking to a

minimum. "You did tell Claire, right?" she asked hopefully. "No, why would I?" He retorted,

looking back over his shoulder. "Uh, so someone would no where we were!" Shannon replied as

if the answer should have been obvious. "Its alright, we'll be out of here by morning" Charlie

assured her. Shannon rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut. For a while they walked in silence,

hearing only the echo of their very own foot steps. Shannon looked around aimlessly while

searching for something to say in her mind. But suddenly her conscience was distracted by a

strange sound in the distance. "Charlie, do you hear that?" She asked softly to make sure she

wasn't going crazy. "Yeah..I hear it" He answered, stopping in his tracks. It was a gentle

rumbling, loud enough to be coming from just around the corner. "Oh god, what if its one of

those polar bears?" Shannon suggested nervously, the flash light shackling in her hand. "Its not a

polar bear. Give me that" Charlie assured her as he snatched the light out of her hand. He took a

few steps forward, to the edge of the corner. Shannon waited where she was. _If there is a poler _

_bear, it could eat him first. _A smile grew across his face as he looked onto the other side, and

after a moment he began to laugh. "What is it?" Shannon questioned, taking a couple steps

forward. He didn't respond, so she forced herself to look. Just around the corner lay a big pond,

witch connected to a river at one end. The water rumbled through the narrow crevasse, shining

green in the light. "Oh my god. We found it. This is what the map was talking about!" She

exclaimed excitedly. "Shh!" Charlie reminded her, the last thing he wanted was a cave in. "Well,

atleast now we no its here. We should head back the way we came and tell the others" Charlie

suggested. "Yeah, good idea. I don't want to spend another minute in this damned cave" Shannon

agreed, and began fallowing him back.

The sun had only been up for a few hours once they got back, but a small panic had already been

made. Boone stomped up to them as soon as they emerged from the jungle. "Jesus Shannon,

where have you been?!" he asked as he gave her a hug. "Ew, get off me!" She exclaimed, pushing

him away. "Where were you?!" he insisted, not at all offended by her little shove. "I was in the

caves, we found a river inside one, just like the map said!" Shannon explained proudly. "What the

hell were you going out there for? Do you know how dangerous that is?" He scolded. "You're

the one who said I should do more to help around here!" She reminded him angrily, the brat in her

was returning. "Yeah, I didn't mean get yourself killed! Jesus Shannon! What if something

happened to you? We wouldn't have know where to look or anything" He continued to badger

her. Charlie made a quick escape without either of them noticing, to wrapped up in their own

sibling rivalry. He made his way back to the tent and found Claire inside, looking at herself in the

rather large mirror they'd recovered from the other half of the plain and hung up on their wall.

She was standing sideways in ripped geans and a black bra, stareing at her stomach, witch had just

barely begun to show. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the

side of her neck. "When did you get back?" she asked with a smile. "About a minute ago" He

explained, placing another kiss on her check. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously, resting

his chin on her shoulder. "Just, looking." she replied, smiling down at her stomach. "I got a check

up today" Claire added with a hint of amusement. "Due date is May 25th, with would make you a

Gemini" She explained, talking down to her where both her and Charlie's hands rested. "What do

you think it is?" he asked, looking at her from over her shoulder. "A girl" Claire beamed, pulling

her gave away from her stomach to look at him. "One of each" he noted playfully, his grin

widened. Claire nodded, and looked at the mirror again, seeing Charlie holding her in his arms, his

hand gently moving over her slightly rounded abdomen where there baby was growing every

second. It was one of the most beautiful things she'd ever sceen. "Well, I better go put a shirt on

before some one decides to pop in" She suggested. "Aw, your no fun" he sighed playfully, letting

his arms drop to his sides so that she could go get her shirt. "Yeah, well its no fun when your one

year old starts asking what 'those' are" she contradicted as she began digging through their neatly

folded pile of cloths kept on a little shelf in the corner. Charlie looked around, noticering Ben was

not still sleeping as he normally would be this early in the morning. "Where is the little peanut any

ways?" he questioned, looking around the room. "He's out with Sun" Claire answered, then

stopped and stood up straight. "Did you just say peanut?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Yeah, all the cool kids need a nick name, right? Thought I'd try it out" he explained with a grin.

"Oh? And what was yours?" she questioned, unfolding the striped tank in her hands as she waited

for the response. "I didn't have one because I wasn't a cool kid" He explained good naturly.

Claire laughed a little under her breath. "But, I always wanted one" he added quickly, makeing his

way over to her. "So what do you think?" he asked, grinning down at her as he stopped only

inches away. "I think its cute" she replied with a smile. "Then peanut it is" he confirmed. He gave

her a kiss on the forehead before moving over to the other end of the room so she could get

dressed without him crowding her.

"So what your telling me is, you found one of the map where the battle was supposedly held?"

Sayid questioned, makeing sure he was getting it right. "Yes, the only problem is, I have no idea

what the battle was. And so far it hasn't mentioned it again" Shannon explained, glancing back at

the map. "Well, at least now we have a clue" He suggested, sliding into the chair next to her. This

didn't make her feel any better. She frowned down at the paper, with her chin rested on her hand.

"It would help if I could make out complete sentences" she grumbled, sullenly. "Where is your

partner?" he questioned playfully. "Hes taking the day off" She explained bitterly, rolling her eyes

over to where Claire and Charlie were sitting not to far away. "Maybe then you should take the

day of too" He suggested, turning back to her. "I think I've taken enough of those" she reminded

him. "One more wont hurt" he persisted with a smile as he stood up. Shannon looked up at him

skeptically for a moment, the caved. "Alright, but this better be good" She muttered playfully as

she stood as well.

Charlie and Claire had invented a new way of entertaining themselves. It was a game of rock,

paper, scissors. Except, who ever lost had to answer a questioned. They'd made it to their fith

round and Claire was still the raining champion. "Ok, who was the first girl you ever liked?" she

asked quizitivly. Charlie considered the question for a moment. "That would be Kayla Reice. I met

her when I was in the third grade" He answered with a smile. "And How'd that situation work o

ut?" She asked playfully. "It didn't. The tart left me for a fith grader!" he exclaimed jokenly.

"Alright, watch me beat you again" Claire said, after a short laugh, putting her hand in fist form.

They repeated the rock, paper, scissors motion once again, and once again, Claire beat him.

"Wow, your really bad at this" she teased, smiling triumphantly. "Ha, ha. Next question" He

mutter sarcastically. "Alright. Describe the time you...lost your virginity" she questioned with a t

teasing grin. Once again, Charlie thought for a moment. "Well it was in a tree house, with a girl

named Sarah, on my thirteenth birthday" He explained with no shame what so ever. Claire's mouth

dropped. "Thirteen?!" She asked in disbelief. He nodded with a raise of his eye brows. You don't

waist any time, do you?" she teased. Charlie responded by shacking his head, and folding his hand

into rock position, although it was mostly obscured by his sleeve. Rock, paper, scissors, and finally

Charlie won. Paper beats rock and he gently covered her fist with his flattened palm. "Alright, your

turn" She said disappointedly with a little sigh. He thought for a moment, searching for a question.

After a moment, a smile slid onto his face. "Do you remember the night you had Ben, and you

were going to ask me a question?" he asked, biting his lip a little as he waited for an answer. Claire

thought for a moment, then smiled. "Yes" She replied sweetly. "What were you going to ask?" he

questioned curiously. "I was going to ask....

"No, way" Shannon confirmed, standing in her black bikini bottoms and a Lavender tank top on

the edge of the rocks. "Come on. Just jump" Sayid persisted from inside the water. He'd taken her back to the caves, to further search the river inside. "No, I'm not getting in the water" She replied

sternly, crossing her arms at her waist. "We can't keep looking if you don't get in" he reminded

her patiently. "We'll just have to find another way. Maybe if we go around the cave long enough-"

she suggested, but was cut off. "Or maybe I'll just go by myself" he suggested, interrupting her

with his reverse psychology act. Shannon stopped abruptly, and for a moment she looked a little

surprised. "Fine" she snapped moodily, and went to walk away. Her bare foot slipped on the rock

and with a loud splash Shannon was in. Sayid couldn't help but laugh as her head popped back to

the surface with the biggest look of shock he'd ever sceen. "Are you alright?" he asked, trying to

stop laughing. "Its cold" She uttered in a shaky voice, ignoring his question. "You'll get used to it"

he assured. "Now that your in, are you going to help me?" he questioned, still amused. "Well, since

I'm already in..." she agreed with a shrug. "Alright, then lets get going" He suggested. Shannon

nodded, and began moving through the water.

"Why won't you tell me?" Charlie was begging childishly as he fallowed Claire across the sand.

"Because, its so much funnier when your in suspense" She explained with an amused grin on her

face. "But that's not fair" He whined. "Life's not fair" she reminded him teasingly. Charlie had to

stop for a moment, in search of a come back. "Wow, your bad at this to?" She teased, once he

didn't respond. "Oh come on!" He insisted, unable to think up a good argument. "Alright, fine" she

sighed in agreement. Charlie's expression perked up a bit, impatiently awaiting the response. "I was

going to ask you if you thought fate would bring you and me together too" She explained, blushing

a little. "And it did" He replied, closing the space between him as he led her hand in his, rubbing his

thumb over the ring he'd given her. "When do you think we should get married?" She asked,

looking down at the ring as well. "Soon" he answered without thought. "How soon?" Claire asked, correcting herself. He pretended to think about it for a moment. "Tomorrow" He answered, in more

of a suggesting form. "Really?" She asked, her eyes brightened up. "Yeah. I mean, I already no I'm

gonna spend the rest of my life with you. Why not make it official as soon as possible" he explained.

"That is, if you want to of corse" He added quickly. "I want to" she assured, moving in a little bit

closer. They kissed again, and he moved his hand across her stomach. Claire giggled a little, looking

down at where his hand laid. "She kicks a little every time we kiss" Claire explained brightly.

Charlie smiled, and kissed her again, leaving his hand there so he could feel her kick. A little

shudder ran through him as he felt the small movement agenst the palm of his hand, and he couldn't

keep the smile of his face. "What are you thinking?" Claire asked, reading his expression. She could

always tell he when he got an idea because if the way his eyes sparked. "I think after we get hitched,

we should go to the jungle, just for a little while. Like a vacation. Just you, me and the peanut" he

suggested with hopefully look on his face. "How could I say no?" Claire agreed, and leaned in to

kiss him again.


	26. Anything More

Disclaimer:You know I don't own lost, if I did would I write a fan fic about it? So sorry about the update being so late! I lost my internet for a few days. But here it is. Again, sorry!

**Alterarial10: Well your in luck, the wedding is the entire next chapter, and the baby is defonetly going to be a girl. **

FATE

Anything More

"I don't know if this was such a good idea" Shannon exclaimed grimly as she looked around the

cave."if your scared, we can turn back" Sayid offered with a sly smile, knowing she'd never admit

it. "I'm not scared, I'm just have a ... bad feeling about this" She explained with denial, watching

the light and water reflecting on the walls ceiling above. "Some people might call that fear" he

teased. "I'm not scared" She insisted sternly. He tried not to laugh. "Besides, if something dose

happen I've got you here to protect me, right?" she said optimistically, more a comfort to herself

than anything. "Right" he assured her with a smile, and continued moving trough the water. For a

moment they were silent, and could hear nothing but the sounds of the water moving about them.

Shannon looked around nervously, still extremely paranoid about the whole idea of wondering

through the cave. For a quick second, she saw something move in the darkness. A gasp escaped

from her mouth as she gave a startled jump. "What?" Sayid asked, a little startled himself as he

shined the light in the direction she'd been looking. There was a little hallowed out spot in the

wall of the cave. It was less three feet wide, but clearly big enough for a person to fit through. "I

thought I saw something moving" She explained in an uncertain shaky voice. Sayid moved past

her, stareing deeply into the crevasse as he sighed the light in. They could only see so far back,

but from where he was standing there was no sign of movement. "It was probably just a bat" he

confirmed, moving away from the wall. "Just a bat!?" She questioned sarchasticly. An amused

smile crossed his face once again. That is until he heard something drop in the water behind them.

The two turned quickly to see a shadow move across the wall of the cave, and back inside the

crevice. Shannon went to scream, but Sayid managed to silence her by simply holding a finger to

her mouth. Instead, she took a deep gulp and watched with wide eyes as he slowly moved

towards it. Once again he turned the light inside, and once again he saw nothing. Shannon whole

body shook, and this time, it wasn't from the temperature of the water. From behind her, a

strange sound could be heard, faint at first but slowly grew louder. She turned suddenly and gave

a quick shriek. Sayid turned as well, and moved to her side. It was the sound of whispers, dozens

of voices speaking at once, all blurring together until no single one could be understood. It was a

sound he had heard before. "Oh my god" Shannon whispered in shock, stareing wide eyed in the

direction the sound was echoing from. "Come on" Sayid suggested, and gave a tug at her arm.

Quickly, the two began moving back through the water. The sound was over powered by the loud

echos of splashes as they moved, running as best they could. It wasn't long before they reached

the opening to the pond once again, and by that time the sound had long disappeared. "Oh my

god, what was that?" Shannon sobbed, her hands shaking wildly above the water. "I have no idea"

Sayid assured her breathlessly. Slowly, Shannon began to calm down. "Liston to me. I don't want

you to tell any one about this when we get back" Sayid told her sternly, holding her shoulders as

he looked her dead in the eye. "Why?" she asked in confusion, her voice still shaking. "Just

promise me" He repeated his request firmly. "Alright" She gulped and nodded her head. "Alright.

Now lets get out of hear" he suggested with a smile, and began helping her up onto the rocks.

"Hey, guys, liston up" Charlie's voice boomed inside the fuselodge, where all the men were

working. Gradually, the group stopped and looked up, giving him their impatient attention. "Its

official, Claire and I are getting married tomorrow" He announced, unable to wipe the huge grin

off his face. It was silence for about a second before the roar of laughter and Congradlations

echoed through the hollowed plane. Jack came over to give him a pat on the back.. "Well, this

calls for a celebration" he exclaimed, still a little short of breath and sweaty from working. "Yes,

indeed. And I've got just the thing to get the party started" Sowyer chimed in, taking a few steps

forward from his spot at the back end of the plane. "Oh? And what's that?" Jack questioned.

Sowyer walked past him and headed outside. Them and a couple others from the group watched

as he made his way over to his pile of the wreckage, shifted a few things around and then came

back with a box. "What the hell is in there?" Hurly asked, looking down at Sowyer in confusion

as they watched him open up the box. "Why, just a dozen bottles of Champaign all the way from

nineteen sixty-two, very good year if I do say do myself" Sowyer explained, holding up one of the

slinder green bottles. A few cheers sounded from the crowd. "So let me get this straight? You've

had alcohol locked up for a whole year and you didn't decide to bring it out until now?" Boone

questioned, studying another one of the bottles. "Saving for a special occasion. Got about ten

craits of these babies" Sowyer told with a proud grin. "And you didn't drink a single one?"

Sayid's voice sounded from behind. Sowyer swooped around to see him and Shannon walking up

from the back of the beach. "No, I'm a Jack Daniel's man, myself. Got a couple cartons of those

to" He replied, bouncing the bottle in his hand about. A few more cheers fallowed before the

group began swarming Sowyer for the alcohol. "One for the groom" he called, passing a bottle to

Charlie. "Uh, I don't know. I'm suppose to be sober, remember?" he replied, a little unsure. "I

think you can get away with it for one night" Jack assured, patting him on the back. "Well,

alright" he agreed with a sarcastic sigh after pretending to consider the idea. "Alrigty, and one for

the best man, who ever he may be" Sowyer exclaimed, looking to Charlie for the answer. "Here

you go" Charlie responded, taking the bottle from Sawyer's hand and passing it to Hurly. "What,

me? I don't know dude, I'm really bad at the sort of things" Hurly said uncertainly. "So am I"

Charlie assured him with a smile and placed the bottle in his hand. "Oh, ok. Thanks dude" he

replied, and stared down at the bottle. Sowyer continued down the line, handing a bottle to Jack,

Sayid, Boone, and Michael. "Dad, can I have one?" Walt asked from beside him. "No" Michael

answered plainly. "Aw, please. Just one glass" Walt pleaded persistently. "We'll see" Michael

sighed, and began walking off. "Yes" Walt muttered under his breath, fallowing as he went.

Sowyer looked up from the box with surprise to see the next person in line. "What do you want?"

he asked, raising and eye brow at Shannon. "I'll just take a couple for the laddies. You boys can't

hog all the fun" she said smartly, fakeing a smile as she took both bottles from his hands and

headed off to the other side of the beach where the girls were sitting by the fire. "And the next

ones going to me, although I'm sure I'll just be playing another member of the audience" Sowyer

announced to no one in particular. "Actually I was considering you as the priest" Charlie joked,

wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve after he took the first sip from his bottle. A few

laughs sounded from around him. "Aw, shoot. And hear I had my objection speech all ready"

Sowyer smirked. "And last but not least, to our real priest" Sowyer said, handing the last bottle to

Locke. "Oh, I'm not a priest" Locke assured him modestly. "Well hell, neither am I" Sowyer

reapplied jokingly, and held out the bottle again. "To Charlie and Claire" announced, holding up

his bottle. "To Charlie and Claire" the crowed echoed him, holding up their bottles as well.

On the other side of the beach, the girls huddled around the fire. "So, where have you been all

night?" Claire teased as Shannon sat down between her and Kate. "Oh no, were not changing the

subject. Tonight is all about you, now drink" Shannon insisted, shoving one of the bottles in her

direction. "I can't, remember?" Claire reminded, patting her stomach to indicate the baby. "Oh,

right" Shannon sighed disappointedly "Well we can still drink, right?" she asked, hopefully. "Yes"

Claire nodded with a smile. "Good" Kate grinned, pulling on of the bottles from Shannon's hand.

She emptied the cup of water she'd been holding and poured the bottle in, filling up Suns glass as

well. "So, who's the maid of honor?" Shannon questioned with a hopeful grin. "I don't know if I

can decide between all three of you" Claire explained honestly. "I'll give you a clue" Shannon

hinted playfully, pointing a finger at herself. "Excuse me, who helped her give birth?" Kate

interrupted jokenly. Shannon raised her eye brows and gave an offended 'uh'. "Who watched her

kid atleast twice a week for the past year?" Shannon shot back in the same attitude. Sun just

laughed and decided to stay out of it. "Alright, look Barbie, I don't know who you think you are"

Kate began in a sassy voice, trying hard not to laugh. "Barbie?!" Shannon interrupted, looking

terribly offended. "Oh great, just what I need on the night before my wedding. A cat fight" Claire

sighed with a smile. "I'm betting on Kate" Sun explained conspicuously. "Traitor" Shannon

muttered bitterly. "Alright, how about this. Kate, is the maid of honor for me, you're the maid of

honor for her when she marries Jack, and I'll be the maid of honor for you when you and Sayid

get married" Claire suggested with a little teas at the end. Shannon mouth dropped in an attempt

to look shocked. She went to say something, but no words came out. Claire smiled, knowing

she'd settled the argument. "Fine. After all, you are the bride" Shannon said sarcastically with a

roll of her eyes. For a moment, it was settled. "Oh, what about Sun?" Kate asked concideretly.

"Oh, don't worry about me. One of you's bound to get a divorce sooner or later" Sun exclaimed

jokenly. Their laughter was interrupted by the roar of "Yellow Submarine" being sung very loud

and off key by over a dozen drunk men in the distance. The girls just looked at each other blankly

before they burst into laughter. "What a bunch of idiots" Shannon exclaimed, rolling her eyes

once again as she took a sip from her cup. "Hey, one of those idiots happened to be my future

husband" Claire reminded her, pretending to be offended. "Good luck" Kate said sarcastically,

holding up her glass. Claire giggled, and took a sip from her none-alcoholic cup. "So, what are

we wearing exactly?" Shannon questioned. "I guess what ever we can find" Claire shrugged. "I'm

sure theres a couple nice dresses some where on the island" Kate agreed optimistically. "Oh, can I

do your hair?"Shannon begged excitedly. "Sure" Claire agreed with a shrug. Kate gave an

obnoxious snort before imitating the 'dun, dun, dun, dun" from old horror movies when

something bad was about to happen. "Oh shut up and keep drinking" Shannon snapped back

playfully. "Hey! I have half a mind to throw this glass right in your face" Kate threatened, but

instead drank the last bit down. They all had a good laugh about that before it feel silent for a

moment. Luckily, it only lasted for a moment, because the guys on the other side of the beach

brook out into a roar of laughter. "Why is it that when men get drunk, they get loud?" Shannon

asked, speaking rather loud herself. "Who knows" Kate replied, shaking her head. Another burst

of laughter brook out. "My god! Shut up!" Shannon yelled to no one imparticular. But the

laughter continued despite her out burst, witch made her all the more annoyed. "Ah! I hate men"

She continued bitterly, holding her temples to try and block them out. "Except Sayid of corse"

Claire teased, giving her a little nudge on the arm. "Shut up" Shannon muttered bitterly, then took

another sip from her cup.

On the other side, the men were having a good ol' time drinking, and laughing and carrying on.

All except Charlie, who stood a little ways off from the rest of the crowd, leaning agenst the plane

with his almost full bottle in hand. "Hey dude, what's wrong?" Hurly asked, moving up beside

him. Charlie looked up, a little surprised to see someone there. "Nothing" he assured, after

snapping out of his daze. "You sure? You look kind of..distracted" Hurly noted. "No, I'm alright.

I'm just thinking" He explained, looking back down at his shoes. "About Claire?" Hurly asked,

although the answer was obvious. Charlie smiled a little and nodded without looking up. "Then

why don't you get over there?" he suggested, looking over at where the girls were sitting. "No,

its alright. I don't want to interrupt on the whole 'girls night'" he explained. "Oh! Yeah, that

probably wouldn't be a good idea" Hurly nodded, understanding. "Well, cheer up, dude. You'll

see her all day tomorrow" Hurly reminded him with another pat on the back. "Yeah, I guess your

right" Charlie smiled, taking his last glance back at the fire.

The next morning, Shannon woke Claire at the break of dawn to start getting ready. Kate had

gone off in search of nice cloths while sun went for decorations. "Can I look yet?" Claire

questioned, trying to look over at Shannon out of the corner of her eye. "No, I'm not done yet"

Shannon scolded, giving a quick tug at her hair to jerk her head back into position. Claire sighed,

and continued stareing forward. Kate walked inside, carrying a box of cloths. "Find anything

good?" Claire asked, looking up at her. "Well, I searched just about every where. You'd think

people on vacation would bring more white" Kate noted, setting the box down infront of her.

"But, I set aside all the button ups and wife beaters and, hears what we have" she added with a

sigh and gave a little 'ta da' gesture towards the box infront of her. "I'm sure I can put something

together" Claire assured her. "Well, I already know what I'm wearing" Shannon announced to no

one imparticular. "Aw, good for you!" Kate uttered sarchasticly, pretending to be thrilled.

Shannon stuck her toung out in a childish manor as a come back. "Oh no, not this again..." Claire

moaned, with a roll of her eyes. "Ok, I think I'm finished" Shannon announced excitedly, and

handed Claire the mirror. The hair was french braided on both sides, until it reached the back of

the neck, where it was then wrapped around, and came down in two rounded curls. "So, what do

you think?" Shannon questioned impatiently. "Its beautiful" Claire replied withe a wide smile.

"Yay" Shannon beamed proudly, and gave her a big hug. "Alright, my turn!" Kate said, and pulled

Claire up off the floor. Besides finding the cloths, Kate had also took it in her deity to dress all the

men and help Claire find the right cloths. "Can I help?" Shannon asked excitedly, not wanting to

get left out. "Sure, you can hold the mirror" Kate suggested, sweetly fakeing a smile as she

handed her the big heavy mirror from Charlie and Claire's tent. Shannon rolled her eyes and took

the mirror in both hands, holding it up infront of Claire. "So, what are you wearing?" Claire

asked, turning to Shannon as Kate began pulling out cloths. "Oh! Its this adorable little blue dress.

Its got like..fringe, I guess, and it crosses down here" She began to describe, making an invisible

line with her finger from her right caller bone to the underneath her left breast, and then another

line half way down from her left color bone. "Aw, it sounds pretty" Claire said with a smile.

"Dark blue or light blue?" Kate asked, as she began holding up random pieces of clothing to

Claire's body. "More light blue, like a robins egg, I think" Shannon explained after a quick

thought. "What are you wearing?" She added quickly, turning to Kate. "I haven't decided yet. I

don't know weather I want to where the burgundy one or the-" She began to say, but was cut off

by Shannon. "Oh! That looks good" She exclaimed, looking over at Claire. Kate looked down to

see what she'd been holding up. The dress was silky white with a few auburn flower designs

around the top, and one solstice design just above the knee, more to the left. It had thin spaghetti

straps, and came down just past the knees. "Aw, its perfect" Kate noted, proudly. "What do you

think?" she quickly added, looking to Claire. After all, it was her wedding she should be the one

to decide. "Are you kidding? I love it" she exclaimed, smiling down at the dress before her. "Oh

good, try it on!" Shannon insisted giddily, setting the mirror down on the floor and letting it lean

agenst her legs for a moment. "Alright, hold on" Claire told, and headed over to the other part of

the tent where a curtain hand been put up so she could change. "I think I'm going to change too"

Shannon decided, and headed out to go get her dress. "How's it going in there?" Kate asked,

glancing over at Claire. "Good" Claire replied as she pulled her shirt off over her head, her voice

muffled from the other side. Shannon returned in the slinky blue dress she'd described to them

along with matching heals. "What do you think?" she asked, doing a little pose. Claire poked her

head up from the over the top of the certain to see for herself. "Aw, you look great" she

complimented. Shannon giggled a little, them waltzed on over to the mirror to fix her hair. "What

do you think Kate, up or down?" she asked, pushing her hair back with her hands, then letting it

drop again. Kate stood behind her and thought for a moment. "Put it up again" she suggested.

Shannon pulled the hair back once again. "Yeah, wear it up" She confirmed with a nod. Shannon

smiled and held the hair back with one hand as she went in search of a rubber band. "So what

were you saying you wanted to wear?" Shannon questioned again, turning back to Kate after she

found one. "Oh! Still don't know yet. I have to decide between this one kind of green dress that I

found, or the black one" Kate explained. "Well go get them, I'll help you decide" Shannon

suggested as she wrapped her hair up in a bun, which was rather difficult at such a short length.

"Alright, good idea" Kate exclaimed and headed out the door. "Are you excited?" Shannon asked,

turning to Claire after Kate had disappeared. "Yeah" Claire nodded with a smile. Sun made her

way in with a big box full of flowers and other decorating things. "How's the 'decor' department

going?" Shannon asked, crossing her arms as Sun walked in. "Good, I found a lot" Sun explained,

setting down the box. She was already dressed in the knee length, dark grey skirt she'd been

wearing on the day of the crash, and a silky black spaghetti strap top. "Aw, you look nice"

Shannon complimented, once she got a better view. "So do you" Sun replied with a smile. Kate

returned with a two dresses folded over her arms. "Ok, witch one" she asked, first holding up the

green, and then the black. "well, I like the black one better, but I can't be wearing blue if you two

are both wearing black" Shannon explained thoughtfully. "Maybe I should change" she suggested,

frowning a little. "Well we can't all be wearing black, it's a wedding not a funeral" Kate reminded

them. "You never know" Claire joked from behind the curtain. "Alright, so go with the green?"

Kate asked, holding the up the dress again. "I don't know" Shannon said thoughtfully, studying

the dress. "I could change If you like" Sun offered optimistically. "Oh! Wait, I have a dress in one

of my bags that might work" Shannon exclaimed. "Alright, lets get it" Kate agreed. Before they

headed out the door, Claire cleared her throat to catch their attention. The three stopped and

turned around to see her standing just outside the curtain. "Aw! You look so great" Shannon

exclaimed, just a little teary eyed. Claire blushed and walked forward to see for herself. The three

stood behind her, looking back at her refection. "He is gonna fall in love with you all over again"

Kate beamed, squeezing her shoulder in a little side hug. Claire's smile grew and her cheeks went

bright red. It had been to long since she'd heard from Charlie.

"Hey man, how do you feel" Hurly asked, standing behind Charlie. "Nervous" he answered softly.

"Dude, don't be. Its not like you can mess up or something" Hurly assured him, giving him a

hardy smack on the back that made him jump a little. "Has any one heard from Claire?" Charlie

asked, turning back to the group behind him. "No, but I just talked to Kate I a couple minutes

ago" Jack explained as he walked back inside the tent. "What did she say?" Charlie asked, turning

to him. "Well, she said the girls were having a good time trying to find cloths, but Claire looks

great" Jack explained with a smile. Charlie grinned just thinking about her. "And how's Kate

look?" Sowyer inquired with a smirk. "Geans and a tank top" Jack replied with a snicker. "I don't

understand why women have to take so god damn long to get dressed" Sowyer noted, leaning on

his elbows agenst on of the tables. "Who dose?" Michael agreed with a sigh. "When me and my ex

were together, it used to take her two whole hours just to get dressed" He added with disbelief.

"Yeah, but I never thought of Kate as being the one to take forever" Jack intervened, making his

way aimlessly around the room. "Yeah, I'd expect that more from Shannon" Charlie agreed as he

lifted Ben up off the floor. He'd been trying to reach the food from off the table but couldn't reach.

"Are you kidding? She's been planning what she's gonna wear for weeks!" Boone explained

sarcastically. "Lets face it, women are weird, and were never gonna understand them." Jack

confirmed. "You just be happy you've gotten as close as you can" he added, turning to Charlie.

"Just lucky, I guess" Charlie grinned, looking over at Ben as he spoke.

"Are you ok?" Shannon asked, sitting down beside Claire. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy"

She explained sweetly. Shannon gave a week smile in an attempt to make her feel better and

handed her a cup. "Here, drink this. Its not alcohol, I promise" She explained. Claire smiled

aprecativly and took a sip from the cup. "Alright, I think were good" Kate announced as she

walked out from behind the curtain, dressed in a pale lavender button-up top, and a kneel length,

black and white checkered skirt and her hair pulled up in a sloppy bun. "wow, it looks good"

Claire smiled, studying the outfit. "I know, I'm a miracle worker" Shannon grinned proudly,

crossing her arms as she watched Kate check herself in the mirror. "You think the guy's are

ready?" She questioned as she smoothed out her skirt. "I hope so" Shannon replied as she hopped

up out of her seat. "I'll go check" She added, then headed out the door way. "Are you nervous?"

Kate asked conspicuously, taking Shannon's seat. "What do I have to be nervous about?" Claire

asked playfully in response. "I dunno. Seemed like the right thing to say" Kate mumbled

sarcastically. "I wonder if Charlie's nervous" Claire thought out loud with a look of amusement,

leaning back in her chair. "Of corse he is. Men are always nervous" Kate explained. "Oh? And

why's that?" Claire questioned skeptically. "Because, no matter what, there's always something

they could say to ruin things" Kate explained conspicuously. "Well, I think someone should tell

him he doesn't have to worry about that" Claire suggested with a smile. "Oh, why's that?" Kate

asked skeptically. "Because, I don't think there's a thing he can say to make me stop loving him"

she answered plainly. "Well, im sure he'll be glad to here that" Kate grinned. "They're ready when

you are" Shannon announced, poking her head in through the door way. "Alright, here we go"

Kate sighed with excitement, as she hoped out of her seat. "You ready?" she asked, turning back

to Claire. Claire nodded, trying to contain her excitement. "Alright, then lets go" Shannon grinned

excitedly. "Who am I walking with again?" Kate whispered back to Claire as they made their way

over. "Hurly. Shannon, your with Sayid, as usual" She explained, sneaking another little tease in

with it. Shannon simply rolled her eyes in denial. "And Sun, your with Michael" Claire finished.

The girls nodded, and got in line. Once every one was situated, the precession began. Hurly took a

deep breath before taking Kate's arm and heading down the aisle. At the end, Charlie, Boone and

Sowyer were already in line, as well as Locke, at the center Boone was holding Ben to one side as

the two made their way down and broke off at the center. The rest of the castaways were filed

out, facing the center, already standing because of the lack of seating. As they walked, Shannon

moved up, giving a sweet smile up at Sayid as he took her arm. Claire cleared her throat, indicating

that she saw the little sign of affection. Shannon turned around and stuck her toung out before

turning back, with a serious expression for her own walk down. As they went, Sun and Michael

stepped up. They exchanged a quick smile before walking, though it wasn't nearly as obvious as

Shannon's. Next was Walt's turn, he made his way down alone, carrying the rings in hand. They

didn't have bands, so instead before the ceremony, Claire took of her engagement ring to use

again, and Charlie donated one of the many he'd already owned. He didn't have a small pillow like

traditional would hold either, so he carried both ring inside the folding petals of a large white

flower. Claire took in a deep breath as he made his way down, and Jack moved up to her side.

"Your not gonna throw up are you?" He asked sarcastically with a whisper. Claire smiled, and

shook her head. Walt reached the end, and all Heads turned in their direction as they stepped out

onto the aisle. Claire caught the expression on Charlie's face turned to utter amazement as he

watched her walk down. The look made her face turn red, and she had to try hard to keep from

grinning all over the place. Once they reached the end, the whole commission fell silent. "Dearly

beloved, we are gathered here today to bring together Charlie Pace and Claire Littleton. Who

presents this women?" Locke began, speaking slowly to remember the words. "I do" Jack

answered, a little shaky. He nodded to Claire, and she went the rest of the way, turning to face

Charlie. Both's smiles widened as they looked into each others eyes for the first time in what

seemed like an eternity. "Please, repeat after me" Locke instructed, and Charlie snapped out of his

daze, ready to liston. "Do you take this women, to be my lawfully wedded wife, through rich or

poor, in sickness and in health, to death till you part?" Locke spoke gently, although he had to

speak loud enough for the whole island to hear. "I do" Charlie vowed, feeling his own face go

warm as he began to blush. Locke smiled, as he turned to Claire. "Do you take this man, through

rich or poor, in sickness and in health, to death till you part?" Locke questioned once again. "I do"

Claire beamed, looking up at Charlie once again. "By the power invested in me, I pronounce you

husband and wife," Locke announced with a grin, "you may now kiss the bride." The two closed

they're eyes as they leaned in to kiss, and cheers broke out among the crowd. Sayid was trying

hard not to laugh as Shannon tried to hide her sobs while tears cascaded down her cheeks. "I love

you" Charlie said softly, after their lips parted. "I know" Claire giggled, and the two kissed again.

"So, is this what you pictured your wedding to be like?" Claire asked with a smile as two slow

danced to the weak music of Charlie's guitar being played by Sowyer. "Well, in a way. I mean, I

always knew I'd get married in jeans" Charlie joked. "But I never thought it would be with

someone as wonderful as you" he added sweetly, smiling down at her. "Aw" Claire said

obnoxiously, giving him a teasing grin. "Well its good to hear, cause you looked pretty nervous up

there" she noted playfully. "Yeah, I know. Guess I just get uncomfortable when a bunch of people

stare at me" He explained shyly. "Oh really, Mr. Rock star?" She teased, smiling up at him. "Well,

I might have been cool on stage, but I threw up before every show" Charlie explained simply.

Claire giggled a little, and laid her head agenst his shoulder. He wrapped his arms tighter around

her and kissed the side of her cheek. _How could I want anything more? _

"Look at those two. So damn perfect for each other" Kate noted, leaning agenst Jack's shoulder as

she watched Charlie and Claire across the room. "Well yeah, but so are we" Jack smiled

sarcastically. "Oh yeah, Well educated Doctor and bitchy criminal, were a classic fairy tail" She

mused sarcastically. "Well, if you look at it that way" Jack teased with a laugh before leaning down

to kiss her. "And how do you look at it?" Kate questioned, pulling her arms around his neck. Jack

pretended to think for a moment. "The well educated doctor has found the bravest, beautiful,

women in the world" He explained with a grin. "Hmm, I guess I don't mind seeing it your way"

Kate teased playfully, and leaned in to kiss him again.

Sun stood by herself, watching the others on the dance floor as she twirled the flower in her hand.

"You did a great job with all the decorating" Michael complimented, leaning back agenst the wall

beside her. "Thank you" Sun replied shyly but appreciatively. "Where's your husband?" Michael

questioned, looking around the room. He became aware of how long it had been since he'd seen Jin

around. "Hes back at the tent. Not much for parties these days" Sun explained, glancing back over

at their tent across the island. Michael nodded, understanding, and looked around the room

uncomfortably for a few moments. "Do you think he'd mind to much if I asked you to dance?"

Michael questioned suddenly after a moment. At first, Sun looked surprised, but then a smile came

across her face. "He probably will" She assured him, but took his hand all the same.

Shannon was sitting on the a blanket in the sand, just outside the party, watching all the couples.

She jumped a little when she noticed Sayid standing above her. "Are you alright?" he asked with a

disarming smile as he sat down beside her. "Yeah" She tried to assure him with a nod, forcing

herself to smile. "Oh? Then why are you sitting out hear all by yourself?" He question skeptically,

not buying her cheery act. "I'm just thinking...how sad is that?" She mused sarcastically, turning to

him. "Thinking about?" He questioned, maintaining that kind, caring smile. "About how all these

people seem to be paring up, falling in love despite everything. And hear I am, all alone. Before this

island, I could have any one I wanted, and no one was never enough, because I always had the

image of this perfect man, and I had all the time in the world to find him." Shannon began to explain

as a tear rolled down her check. Sayid's smile fadded. All he could do was listen. "And now, that

whole chance is gone. And I'm afraid....I'm never going to find some one. I'm just gonna end up

alone" She continued, her voice cracking into a sob as the tears came flooding down. "And I don't

want to be alone" she finished softly, her voice just barely audible. It tore him apart to see her like

this. She'd never shown emotion to him or any one else. He'd never sceen her as spoiled or selfish

like the others had, but he did see her as a child. She was still to young and naive, until now. Now,

for the first time he saw her as a women. He smiled gently as he placed his hand over hers. Shannon

looked up at him, tears still sparkling in her eyes. "Your not the only one who doesn't want to end

up alone" he assured her. Shannon wiped her eyes with her other hand, and tried to smile. "I guess

your right" she replied after a moment, her voice still a little shaky. Sayid just smiled and rose to his

feet, and helped her up with him. He placed his hands on her waist, keeping a polite distance

between them. Shannon placed her hands on his shoulder, and they began dancing slowly to the

distant music. For a while it was silent, then Shannon spoke. "Thank you" She said softly, without

even looking up. "For?" he questioned. "For keeping me company" she answered with a little smile,

glancing up at him. "Your welcome" he smiled sincerely. Shannon sighed, and laid her head agenst

his shoulder.


	27. Know Your Place

Disclaimer: Alrigty, here's the next chapter. Not much of an explanation needed.

**Alterarial10: Glad you liked the wedding and the additional couple action. I've enjoyed wrighting them quite a bit, especially Shannon and Sayid. To answer your question, Claire is about three months pregnet, and Jin is an ass, witch is why he was not at the wedding. But you'll hear more about that soon enough**!

FATE

Know Your Place

Claire's eyes slowly fluttered open. It was mid afternoon, but in the jungle, it was still pretty dark.

She laid still for a moment as she slowly came to before realizing Charlie wasn't beside her.

Worried, she quickly hopped up and looked around. He found him no more then three yards

away. "Morning, Ms. Pace" he greeted playfully, looking up from his guitar. "Morning" Claire

smiled sleepily, patting down her tangled hair. Charlie sat his guitar down and hopped up,

makeing his way over to her. "I made breakfast" he announced, stopping over by the fire. "Aw,

how sweet" she grinned, resting back on her elbows. He picked up one of the two mugs witch

had been sitting on the rocks by the fire and handed one to her. Claire smiled and took a sip

without looking, amusing it was just water. But her eye's widened as she recognized the familiar

taste. "Oh my god. Is this coffee?" she asked, looking down at the contents of the cup. "Yep.

Sowyer gave it to me as a wedding gift" Charlie explained with a grin, kneeling down infront of

her. Claire took another sip before handing him back the cup as she laid her head back agenst the

pillows. "Did you get any sleep?" She asked with a hint of concern, turning her head to face him.

"No, too awake" He answered simply. "Really? I was exhausted" she exclaimed a little

suggestively, shifting under the blankets. Charlie grinned, and blushed a little before taking a sip

from his own cup. Claire laid her head flat agenst the pillows, and closed her eyes agenst the

single beam of sun that managed to break through trees and clouds just to shine down right in her

face. "What did you make?" she asked, without opening them. "Uh, bacon, of sorts" he explained,

glancing over at the tin tray where about eight slices were laid. He lifted it off the surface of the

rock and held it over to her. Hesitantly, she lifted one of the narrow slices and took a bite,

considering for a moment as she chewed. "Oh my god, this is amazing!" She exclaimed with

surprises and took another bite. "Where did you learn how to cook?" she questioned with a full

mouth. "My mum" he explained simply. "Well, she thought you well" Claire confirmed as she

picked up another piece. "I hope you don't mind that I'm eating it all" she joked concideretly as

she took another bite. "No, not at all. After all, your eating for two" he reminded her with a smile.

"How's she doing in there, anyways?" he question, seizing the excuse to tilt his head enough to

see under the blankets. "She's fine" Claire confirmed as she pulled the blanket tighter around her.

Charlie looked away and sipped his coffee innocently. She didn't buy it for a second. "Where are

my cloths anyways?" she asked, looking around the general area. "well, here are your pants" he

explained, tossing her a pair of wrinkled geans witch had been lie on the ground. "and your shirt

is..." he searched the earth infront of him for a moment before his eyes trailed up ward. She

fallowed his gaze up the neighboring tree until she spotted the top, hanging on a branch way out

of reach. "Well...then I suppose I'll have to barrow yours" she exclaimed with a laugh as she

pulled on the geans beneath the blankets. "Actually, it's a little cold out. I might just have to keep

it on" he teased. "Alright, in that case you can climb up and get it" She suggested firmly. "And if I

decline?" he questioned playfully, with the rasing of an eyebrow. "Do you really wanna go there?"

she retorted, giving him the same expression. 'Cheater" Charlie mumbled bitterly. Claire just

replied by giving him a sweet and innocent smile.

Jack stood out by the rocks, looking out at the ocean as he thought about the dream he'd had

weeks ago. It hadn't bothered him the night he had it. After all, it was only a dream. He

had only dreamt about when Claire gave birth to Ben, nothing strange. But last night, it had

occurred again, and he found himself thinking about it constantly. He wasn't one to believe that

dreams told you anything about life or the future, they were simply figments of your imagination.

But still, he couldn't seem to pull himself away from the thought that it was trying to tell him

something. He closed his eyes as he rubbed his temples. _What are you doing, Jack? Get a hold of _

_yourself. The rest of the guys are out working hard on the fuselodge and your standing over here_

_wasting time. _His eyes flew open instinctively when the sound of fluttering papers startled him

out of his train of thought. He looked over to see a crumbled batch of papers hit the ground not

far from him. For a moment, he looked around in confusion to see who had dropped it. The

closest people were Shannon and Sayid, and they were way over at the edge of the jungle

translating the maps. Reluctantly, he walked over and scooped up the papers. A look of surprise

crossed his face as he realized what he was looking at. It was a news paper, dated August 23rd,

2004 two months, after the crash one year ago. A look of confusion flooded across his face as

he flipped through the pages until finding a picture of himself, a long with many of the other

survives and a few he didn't recognize. The head line read: After two months searching, all

victims of the plain crash have been presumed dead. Below that was a photo of each of the "crash

victims" and a small obituary about each of them. He stared in wonder as hid eyes trailed through

the images. "Whatcha got there?" Kate asked, wrapping her arms around his shoulder from

behind him. The sudden motion made him jump, and he quickly lost his page. A look of confusion

crossed her face as she became aware of the item he was holding. "Where did you find this?" She

asked in shock, as she stared at the photos of her fellow survivors. "It was on the ground, right

over there" he explained in aw, pointing to the spot in the sand where he'd recovered it. "How is

this possible? How dose a paper that was put out after the crash get on this island?" he added

with a look of bewilderment as he stared down at the page.

"happy?" Charlie questioned sarcastically, looking over at his newly wedded wife who was now

sitting on the ground beside him, in his own shirt no less, after eating all most of their food.

"Well, I'm full, but the little one is still going strong" Claire explained as she stared down at

where her hand laid across her stomach. "You've got to be kidding?" he exclaimed with disbelief.

"Fraid not" she confirmed with a sigh. "Aw, that's terrible" he sympathized thoughtfully, giving

her a weak smile. "Yeah, I think she's inherited _your_ eating habits" Claire replied resentfully,

shooting him a playfully accusing glare. "Im sorry" he replied in the sarcastic voice of a child,

giving a pathetic pout. "Well, I think theres some more food in the bag if you want?" He offered,

pointing a thumb behind him to the little path behind the rocks where they'd left them. "Do you

mind?" she question sweetly, rasing an eye brow. "No problem" he assured, and was on his feet in

seconds. Claire pulled her self up slowly as well. She was only three months in, but the difficultly

of standing was already in progress. And soon, the ruff stages would come. Morning sickness, a

time she was not looking forward to. She pushed on the small of her back, leaving the other hand

over her slightly rounding stomach as she stretched. She then brushed back her hair, witch was

extremely tangled. A few knotted strands got caught on her hand and she looked at them with a

sigh. "Charlie?" She called out, glancing over the rocks. "Yeah?" he called back. "Get my hair

brush too, please" she requested, craning her neck so that her voice elevated over the top of the

rocks. "Alright, luv" He replied. She could hear him digging trough the bags loud in clear. She also

he zipped one up, but tripped over the other and fell to the ground with a loud thud before

makeing his way back. "I'm ok" he assured sarcastically. Claire laughed and shook her head, once

again pulling her massive hair out of the way. She turned when doing so, and spotted movement in

the trees out of the corner of her eye. She did a double take, and was shocked to see a familiar

figure standing in plain air before her. The shock made her stumble a little, and her head went

dizzy. "Thomas?" she asked softly as she stared back at the figure. Slowly, as the ground began to

spin before her, her eyes slid shut and her knees gave in. She dropped to the ground unconscious.

"Claire..." Charlie began to say as he appeared from behind the rocks carrying a hair brush in one

hand and a plastic bag full of fruit in the other. He stopped when he saw Claire lieing on the

ground. "Claire!" he called in a panic. The items dropped from his hands as he ran to her side.

"Were all in here?" Boone questioned, looking up from the paper as he sat on the table. "And then

some" Jack confirmed with a sigh as he stood beside him. "This is amazing. Where did you say you

found it?" Locke inquired, squinting down at the paper from the opposite side of Boone. "Over by

the rocks, I had my eye closed, so I don't know what way it came in from. But it landed just a few

feet away, right in the sand" Jack explained plainly, giving a gesture towards the ground before

him. "Well it couldn't have just fallen out of the sky" Boone exclaimed sarchasticly. "Of chorse not"

Jack agreed, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "But where did it come from?" Locke questioned

musingly. "I haven't the slightest idea" Jack assured him, brushing his hand from his forehead to t

he back of his neck. "Well sitting around here isn't gonna help us find much" Sowyer chimed in

from his corner, leaning back agenst the pole with his arms crossed over his chest. "He's right.

We've gotta start asking some questions" Kate agreed, rather she liked it or not. "Then lets get

going" Jack suggested plainly. With that, the group hopped up but before they could get very far, t

hey were gravely interrupted by the sight of Charlie running for them full force. "Jack! Jack!" He

was calling as he staggered out of the trees and dropped to the sand, carrying Claire in his arms.

Jack and the others quickly rushed over. "What happened?" Jack questioned, dropping to his knees

infront of him. "I don't know, I wasn't looking. I went off to get something from our bags, only for

a minute, and when I turned around she was out!" Charlie explained in a distressed panic. "Ok, calm

down. Boone, go get me some water" Jack instructed calmly without looking back as he turned

Claire's head to face straight forward. Boone nodded, and quickly hurried off. "She's gonna be

alright?" Charlie questioned, glancing up at Jack with a look of worry. "Oh, yeah. She'll be fine. I

think fainting is a natural routine for her by now" Jack assured light-heartedly. "No, no. I mean the

baby" Charlie explained. For a moment Jack was silent. "She'll be fine" he assured finly, with a

warm smile. "Here you go, Jack" Boone said breathlessly at his return and handed him the full

bottle. "Thanks, man" Jack replied aprecativly, then turned down to Claire. He lifted her head by

sliding his hand under her neck, and gently tilting it back with the other palm opened on her

forehead. Slowly, he let the water drip inside her mouth. In a few moments, her eyes flittered open

and he pulled the bottle away. She sat up with a look of confusion. "You alright?" Jack asked with

a smile. The faints on Claire's behalf had ceased to effect him, although Charlie on the other hand

was not so easily dismissed. "Yeah, I'm fine" Claire began to answer softly before she was nearly

tackled by Charlie's sudden motion as he threw his arms around her and placed a kiss on her

forehead and the side of her check. "Really" She assured him with a laugh, attempting to hug him

back. Charlie sat back, a little embarrasses. "Well now that your alright, we've got some business to

take care of. Just lay back and relax. Try not to faint" Jack suggested teasingly, giving her a little

pat on the back before rising to his feet. "I'll try" Claire assured him playfully, squinting up at him

with a smile. Jack gave a nod, and headed off. The others broke off in different directions as well.

Sayid sat out by the water, stareing at the open map across his lap. Shannon had taken a break due

to the level of brightness brought on by the sun in the after noon. They had long since ran out of sun

screen and rather she wanted to admit it or not, she was fair skinned. He sat on the sand not far

from her tent, finishing up the job. Or atleast, trying. There wasn't much he could do seeing that

he'd never spoken a word of french in his life, but he still felt compelled to stare at it. he was soon

distracted by the loud squill fallowed by frantic flapping of the plastic tent door as Shannon clumsily

fought her way out of the tent. In her panic, she'd managed to get tangled in the sheet they'd been

using for a door and no longer able to see, she pulled it off its ties as she stumbled to the sand.

Sayid couldn't help but laugh as he watched her fight her way out of the plastic, sitting up with a

huff as she blew the frazzled hair out of her face. He fell on his back, laughing hysterically. Shannon

let out an agrivateed growl in her frustration as she stumped to her feet and kicked the plastic off

her ankle. "Are you alright?" he questioned with amusement as she continued to shack and kick her

foot to remove the plastic that was wrapped tightly around her ankle. Shannon ignored him, giving

another wale of frustration before falling flat on her ass once again. And again, he broke out in

laughter before going over and helping her. "Dammit" she groaned as she gave in, propping herself

up on her elbows as he carefully unwrapped the tarp from her ankle. "There" he said with a smile of

accomplishments once her ankle was free. "My hero!" she sighed in a sarcastic breath, pulling her

ankle to her lap as she sat up straight and brushed back her wild hair. "What were you screaming

about?" he questioned, glancing back at her open tent. "There was a spider in there, again!" She

exclaimed angrily. "Ugh, I can't stand spiders" She added, the thought alone made her cringe. He

laughed once again and stood, helping her up with him. "Thanks" she smiled sweetly, without

letting go of his hand. "Your welcome" he replied, returning the smile. "Hey Shan!" Boone called

as he jogged up, stopping before them. He looked down at there hands, witch Shannon quickly

disconnected quickly at the realization of his presence, then down to the tangled plastic lieing on the

sand. "What happened to the door?" he questioned, lowering his eye brows as he glanced up at her.

"I broke it" she explained shamelessly. "Jesus, Shannon..." he sighed, giving a mournfully glance

down at their door as he shook his head. "Hey you didn't by any chance lose a news paper?" He

then added, looking back up. Shannon replied by curving an eye brow at him, giving him the look of

insanity. "No?" He asked again, turning to Sayid, who shook his head. "Alright, thanks" He sighed,

and headed over to the next tent. "He is so weird" Shannon noted, watching him with crossed arms

as he asked the same question Hurly at his tent. Sayid snickered, and walked back over to his map.

"Oh, it was so beautiful. You should have been there" Sun mused as she sat down on one of the

boxes outside her tent. Jin simply looked up at her with a raised eye brow. For a moment she fell

silent. "Why weren't you?" she ten asked slowly, turning back to him. "I'm not about to participate

in these obnoxious cheerful events. They pointless, and a waste of time. Just a pathetic excuse to

stop working. I don't understand why you go at all" Jin explained bitterly. "Well, maybe if your

participated in 'cheerful' events once and a while, you'd understand" Sun replied softly, being polite

despite her anger. "Maybe if you didn't, you would give your husband a little more respect" He

snapped in response, giving her an evil glare. "I was just trying to get you out of this tent! Rather

you like it or not, were not alone on this island, Jin. And I'm not going to sit around and pretend we

are!" Sun exclaimed angrily before standing to her feet. Jin hopped up and grabbed her arm as she

began to walk away, swinging her around to face him. "Don't you dare walk away from me like

that. You, are my wife, you understand!?" He ordered sternly, keeping a tight grip on her shoulder.

"Not any more" She replied shortly, her voice low and serious as she jerked her arm away. He

stared at her intensely for a moment, breathing hard as the anger rose inside of him. Not even a

second past before the back of his hand whipped across the side of her face, knocking her to the

ground. She held her cheek and stared up at him in shock. "Don't ever speak to me like that again"

he demanded forcefully, kneeling down to look her in the eye. She breathed heavily as an

unexplainable fear filled her. "Do you understand?" He asked sternly. She was so stunned by the

look in his eyes that no words could come out. He hadn't treated her well since they were married,

and a few yells and evil looks, possibly even threats had been uttered. But never once had he hit her.

And now the look in his eyes told that he could easily do it again, or worse. And nothing could

stand in his way. "Do you understand?" He repeated angrily, gripping her shoulders. She nodded

hard, but only a sob escaped from her lips. His hands disappeared from her arms, though the red

outline remained as he got up and walked away. Sun watched him slide out the door as the tears

welled up in her eyes, and the left side of her face began to throb.

"How are we feeling?" Jack asked cheerfully as he took a seat beside Claire, who was lieing on the

'Operating' table. They had laid down some blankets and pillows to make it feel more like a bed,

even if it was only a thin layer of down between her and the metal slate. "Exhausted" she replied in

a whoosh of breath. "Charlie tells me you've been throwing up a lot" Jack noted, though it was

more like a question. Claire nodded wearily. "How many times today?" he questioned, pulling the

bag he'd carried in onto his lap. "I don't remember" She explained in a sigh as she rubbed her eyes

with both hands, covering most of her face. "Head ach?" he asked, observing carefully as she let on

of the hands rest on her forehead as she leaned forward. "Yes" he answered miserably, dropping her

head into both hands once again. "Here, lay back" he suggested, gently guiding her down by laying

a hand on her shoulder. She leaned back into the pillows, letting her head sink in. "How long have

you had this head ach?" he questioned, pulling up his clip board. "Since I fainted" she replied,

smiling a little. "Having trouble remembering things too?" he asked, pencil ready on the paper. She

nodded, pressing down on her forehead with the palm of her hand. "What about dizziness?" he

questioned as he wrote. "Yep" she sighed. "You should of told me sooner, I could have gave you

some medicine, and they'd be gone by now" he explained, setting to board aside as he unzipped his

bag. "Like what? Tylenol or something?" She questioned, eyes barley open as she sat up once

again, leaning back on her elbows. "No, no, no. You'd need something a little stronger for

migraines" He explained with amusement as he dug through his bag. "Wait, migraines? I've never

had a migraine-" She tried to explain with confusion. "Well, your having one now" He confirmed,

glancing up at her from the bag. He retrieved a small orange-tented bottle with a fat white cap.

"What's that?" She questioned, giving a wide eyed expression towards the bottle in his hand.

"Tranquilizers, they calm the nerves that are getting frazzled from the higher levels of hormones-"

He began to explain. "Meaning....?" Claire questioned, cutting him off. "Meaning, they'll take away

the headaches and dizziness. Help you get some sleep" He explained again, in lammed terms as he b

began twisting the cap off. "Oh, not thanks" He spoke quickly, waving a hand to indicate for him to

stop. "No thanks? As in your not going to take them?" He questioned with a raise of his eye brow.

"I'd really rather not" She replied nervously. Jack gave a airily laugh of disbelief and shook his

head. "May I ask why?" he questioned skeptically, turning back to her. "I just don't want them,

alright?" He confirmed, aggravation raising in her voice defensively. "Ok..." he gave in skeptically,

and slid the medicine back into the bag. For a moment, it was awkwardly silent, then Jack pulled

another item out of the bag. "What is that?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side. "This, is

my home made stethoscope" He explained, flashing her a proud smile. Claire looked on with aw at

the contraption, constructed out of a thin black tube-wire and a small warped pieces of metal. He

tucked two behind his hears, and held the opposite end on her stomach, moving it around until her

found a heart beat. "Can you here it?" She asked excitedly, her mouth hanging open. "I can hear it"

he confirmed with a grin. He moved it around for a moment, and his face went a bit serious. "what

is it?" She asked in concern. His smile returned a widened. "Here, listen to this" he said, removing

the ear pieces from his head and pressing them on ears. "You hear that?" He asked, holding the

extension piece to a particular spot on her stomach. Claire listened for a moment and soon he could

hear a steady heart beat. She nodded, to show she was listening. "Ok, now liston to this..." he

instructed, and moved the extension piece over to a lower part of her stomach. Claire listened for a

moment, and at first heard no change. Then it dawned on her. The hear beat had bubbled. "Oh my

god" She said, both in shock and amazement. "Congradlations, Claire. Your having twins" He

confirmed with a grin. "Oh my god..." she repeated, her jaw hanging open. The two broke out into

laughter.

"Hey, Shan" Boone greeted, plopping down beside her. "What do you want?" She questioned

sharply, with a roll of her eyes. "Nothing, can't I talk to my sister?" he asked defensively. "....sure"

She sighed with another roll of here eyes as she slammed the book in her hands shut. "So, how's the

quest for redemption going?" he questioned playfully. "The what?" she asked with low brows, not

at all amused. "This whole rampage you've been going on to show every one how your 'worth'

something" He reminded her with a teasing grin. "Oh, and you think this is all a joke?" he

questioned defensively, tilting her head to the side. "No, not at all. Actually, I hate to say it but...I'm

proud of you" he explained, seriously. "Yeah....right" she muttered skeptically. "No really. All that

translating seems to be helping a lot" He assured her. "What ever..." she mumbled, rolling her eyes

with a sigh. "Speaking of the translations, what's with all this time you've been spending with

Sayid?" He questioned with a raised eye brow. "Oh god, is that what this is about?" she groaned, s

slamming the book shut again. "I was just asking" he replied, holding his hands up in serenader.

"Hey, are you suppose to be watching that kid?" He then asked, completely changing the subject.

"Ben? Yeah, why?" She asked, a little worried. "Because I think he just walked into the woods"

Boone replied, stareing off at the trees. "Shit" She muttered, scrambling to her feet. "Shannon,

wait!" He called, hoping up after her. Shannon pushed her selves through the trees as quickly as

possible, and stopped in her tracks when she was Ben, standing with his back to her only a few feet

away. But the thing that had her afraid wasn't that she'd found Ben, but the man standing infront of

him. Boone had stopped behind her, and for a moment he was to shocked to move. "Hey!" he

called angrily, moving past her. The man looked up, startled, then quickly turn and ran. Boone

called after him again as he hurried after him. Shannon ran too, but dropped behind Ben, turning

him to face her. "Are your alright? Did he say anything to you?" She questioned in a panic. He

nodded slowly. "What did he say?" She asked breathlessly, trying to calm both him and herself. But

Ben didn't respond. He simply stared.


	28. Heros

**I'm still having problems with my internet connection, and I'm currently unable to receive e-mail. So if you sent a review, thank you but I haven't been able to read it. I will reply to any old ones as soon as I get it working. Oh, and just so I don't feel like I'm plagiarizing, a couple lines in this were burrowed from the show friends. **

FATE

Heros

"Jack!" Shannon called as she ran, carrying Ben at her side. He had just walked out of the tent

when he spotted her running his way. "What's wrong?" He questioned casually as she stopped

infront of him. "I was watching Ben, and Boone came over wanting to talk about something. So

for a little while I was distracted. And then next thing I know he's wondered off into the jungle,

so we went after him. And there was a man standing infront of him. He ran as soon as he saw us.

Boone went after him" She explained quickly as she struggle to catch her breath. "Ok, sit down.

Just try to breath" He instructed. No need for asthma attacks today. "Is he hurt?" he asked,

looking him over. "He doesn't act hurt. But theres blood on his jacket" She explained. Jack looked

him over. A few dusty hand prints lay on the selves of his shirt. "He's alright. Just scared I think"

Jack explained. Shannon nodded, relived. "Should I go tell Claire?" She questioned, pulling

herself off the ground. "No, don't do that" Jack said quickly. Shannon stopped and turned

around. "Why not?" She questioned, a little confused. "Look, Claire's not doing well. She's been

getting sick a lot lately and won't take any medicine. This stress is only going to make it worse"

Jack explained sternly. For a moment Shannon was silent. "Alright. I understand" she agreed, and

scooped Ben up in her arms.

Sun was dragging a heavy bag across the sand. She'd spent most of the morning in the jungle,

finding fruit and eatable plants and was now dragging them back to her tent. "Oh, here. Let me

give you a hand" Michael offered, popping up out of no where. "Oh. Thank you" She smiled up,

but quickly put her head back down. She didn't one any one to spot the red mark that still lay

firmly on her left cheek. She even parted her hair so it covered that side. He took the other side of

the strap, and together they lifted it off the ground. "Man. What have you got in here?" He

questioned. "Food" She answered shortly. "Hope you brought enough for the rest of the class" He

said sarcastically. They reached the tent and dropped it by the fire, witch was extinguished during

the day. She lowered herself onto one of the metal boxes to regain her strength. "Thank you" she

said appreciatively, turning back to him. "No problem" He replied with a smile, and took a seat

beside her. For a moment it was silent. "Excuse me for asking, but shouldn't your husband be

helping you with all this?" He questioned curiously. "Oh, no. Jin refuses to go in the jungle. He says

it is to dangerous" She explained. "But he lets you go?" Michael questioned, a little resentfully. Sun

considered her response for a movement. "It's not his place to tell me what I can or can't do" she

replied, her voice calm and serious. "oh, no. That's not how I meant it. I meant is her alright with

you going out there alone?" Michael corrected himself. Sun nodded, understanding. "No, he's not

happy about it" She explained. "Is that why I haven't sceen you too together in a while?" He asked,

looking back at the tent. "It is one of the reasons" she replied softly. She looked down at the bag

that she'd carried back. "So you've been fighting?" he questioned, trying to confirm his ideas. She

nodded. A small breeze blew by, bringing her hair out with it, and for a moment he noticed the

redness of her cheek. A look of surprise caught his face. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is"

He said in shock. For a moment Sun was confused, then she realized what he was looking at. "What

do you think it is?" She questioned softly, not knowing what else to say.

"Charlie" Claire called, makeing her way over to him. He was kneeling infront of one of the rocks

across from Hurly and Sowyer. Across the surface of the smokey grey rock laid a stack of cards.

"Hey" he grinned up from the five fold in his hands. "What are you boys playing?" She questioned,

kneeling down infront of them. "Slap Jack" Sowyer grinned, using the play on words to full

advantage. " I wanted to use the real thing but, I was out voted" he added with a smirk. "Well,

would you mind if I borrow Charlie for a minute?" She questioned, flashing a little smile his way.

"Go right ahead" Sowyer approved suggestively. Charlie pulled himself to his feet and walked over,

a little distance away. "So, what's the good news?" he questioned with excitement. "Well, Jack

came in to check up on me earlier today, and we found something very interesting about our baby"

She explained teasingly. "Well?!" He asked impatiently. "Well....theres two of them"she answered

with a grin. "Two? As in twins?" he question, to make sure, grinning from ear to ear. Claire

nodded. No words could escape his mouth, so instead he threw his arms around her. "Hey! What

the hell is going on?" Sowyer called from his spot on the ground, secretly feeling left out. "Were

having twins" Charlie explained happily as he plopped back down in his spot. "Well damn. How in

the sam hell did you manage that?" He questioned in disbelief. Charlie shrugged, giving a glance up

at Claire who was standing beside him. "Before we know it this islands going to be swarming with

kids" Sowyer predicted sarchasticly, shaking his head. "Well they won't be coming from me. Three

is quite enough, thank you very much" Clare assured them, kneeling down beside Charlie. "Hold it

right there, if you wanna sit, you gotta play" Sowyer warned. "Alright" she shrugged, and pulled out

five cards from the deck.

"How's he doing?" Sayid questioned softly, sliding into the tent. "Sleeping" She replied, "like

nothing happened." Sayid smiled, glancing down at the one year old curled up at Shannon side. "Has

he said anything?" He questioned, looking back up at her. "He asked for some water and little things

like that, but nothing about what happened" She answered, brushing her hand over Ben's hair as he

slept. "Is he hurt?" Sayid continued to question, scooting a little closer to look over her shoulder.

"Hes got a little scrape on his knee, but jack patched it up" She answered. Sayid now could see the l

little red scrape she was talking about, just below the him of his shorts with a fat square band-aid

pulled across it. "Was Claire upset?" he asked, looking back to her. Shannon looked down silently

for a moment. "She doesn't know" She answered softly. "You mean you didn't tell her?" he

questioned in disbelief. "Jack asked me not to tell her" She explained with a hint of guilt. "Why?" he

looked confused. "Because she's sick. Apparently the hormones are getting to her and he didn't

want to add the stress. But I still think I should tell her" She explained. "Then tell her" he suggested,

finding the answer simple. "But what if she gets worse or passes out or something?" Shannon

protested. "I think she can handle it" Sayid assured. Shannon sighed. "I guess your right" and with

that, she pulled herself off the ground. "I usually am" he nodded with playful agreement. Shannon

shook her head as she walked out the door.

"Are we playing for money or fun?" Kate questioned, looking over the four who were playing cards

at the rocks. "Both. And I'm kicking there ass" Claire grinned. "Mind if I join in?" Kate asked,

plopping down beside her. "Sure" Claire agreed, and pass Kate some cards. "Hell no you can't join.

Bad enough I've got one broad whopping my ass, don't need two of em!" Sowyer protested, his

accent showing strong. "Fine with me. I'll just sit back and watch her whoop your ass then" Kate

grinned teasingly, and dropped her cards back in the pile. "Good" he grumbled, then opened his

cards again. For a while it was silent as they laid there cards down. A jack dropped out of Hurleys

hand and the four went to hit it. Once again, Claire's hand was on bottom. "Jesus Christ. You know,

this is all your fault" Sowyer muttered bitterly, leering at Charlie. "Oh? What ever happened to 'if

you wanna sit, you gotta play'?" he replied accusingly. "Went out the fucking window when

started kicking my ass" Sowyer exclaimed. "I can quit of you want" Claire offered proudly. "The hell

you can! You ain't going no where until I win my money back" Sowyer assured her. "Dude, why

dose it matter. Money isn't going to do shit for you here" Hurly reminded him. "Did I ask you?"

Sowyer said smugly, turning to him. "No..." Hurly answered shortly. "That's what I thought"

Sowyer grinned as he shuffled his cards. "_That's what I thought_" Hurly mumbled mockingly, "chain-

smoking bastard." this only aided to Sowyer amassment. "Speaking of smoke, how bout wrapping

up another one of those cigarets for your good buddy?" Sowyer questioned, turning to Charlie with

a grin. "You beat this hand I'll make a whole pack" Charlie replied, makeing it interesting. "Well in

that case you better tell your women to back off" Sowyer mumbled teasingly. Charlie glanced over

at Claire, who raised an eye brow at him. "Yeah...right" he huffed sarcastically. Sowyer glared

across the rock as he shuffled the cards once again. "I gotta take a piss. Don't start with out me"

Sowyer announced to no one imparticular as he rose to his feet. " You that scared?" Kate teased,

looking up at him as he passed by. "Bite me" he grumbled back and headed off into the woods.

Charlie tapped his cards on the surface of the rock, Flashing a smile over at Claire. She looked up

from her hands and blushed, returning the favor. "Oh god. Will you two get a room?" Hurly

mumbled with disgust. "Maybe later" Claire grinned, still looking at Charlie. Kate's jaw dropped.

"Hold on a second. Since when did sexual innuendo start popping up in this relationship?" she

questioned in disbelief. Claire looked down, biting her lip a little. Kate shook her head and turned to

Hurly. "Must be the hormones" she concluded. "Dude!" he exclaimed in response. "What did I say?

Hormones?" Kate questioned in confusion. "Yeah. Can we _please_ talk about something else?" he

suggested despretly. "Yeah, lets talk about something else" Claire agreed, a little embarrassed. Kate

sighed uncomfortably as the silence continued. "Hormones" she whispered in a ghostly-imitating

voice. "Cut it out!" Hurly demanded with a cringe. Kate and Claire both giggled. "Dude, dosent this

bother you?" He questioned, turning to Charlie. "Are you kidding? Pregnancy hormones are great!

Much better than period hormones any way" He explained casually. "Dude! Gross!" Hurly

exclaimed, and shook his head with disprovement. "Oh, chill out" Kate muttered teasingly. "Alright,

I'm back" Sowyer announced from behind. "Can I play now?" Kate questioned, looking up at him as

he crossed behind her. "Fine" he grinned, "your money's mine freckles." He continued to smirk as he

made his way over to his seat. "Your fly's open, red neck" She teased in response, imitating his

voice. He looked down, and quickly tunned to zip up. He plopped down and picked up his cards.

Shannon stood just outside the jungle, stareing into the trees. She had a bright pink Shaw wrapped

around her, the thin tank top and cut off shorts not doing much good to keep warm. Sayid walked

up beside her, studying the worried look on her face. "He's not back yet" She whispered, without

looking at him. "He will be" Sayid assured. She didn't respond. Instead, he watched as a shiny tear

rolled down her cheek. "Shannon..." he said, not knowing how to help her. "I hate this island" She

sobbed, looking straight ahead. "I hate having to worry every time someone steps into that jungle. I

hate that Ben has to live his life in a on this beach, not knowing what its like to be a real kid. I hate

being able to think that something terrible may be happening to my god damn brother" she raved, her

shoulders shaking as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Slowly, he moved his hand up and laid it on

her back to comfort her. She pulled herself to his chest and buried her head agenst his shirt. He stood

with one arm around her, letting her get it all out.

"God damn it!" Sowyer yelled angrily, slamming down his cards. Kate gave Claire a high five before

hopping to her feet and doing a little victory dance. "Ha, I got your money" she teased in a sing sung

voice as she continued the little dance. "Yeah, yeah, yeah.." he ground sarcastically, rising to his feet.

"And your fly's still open" She noted in the same beat as before, glancing down at his pants. He

looked down quickly to see a firmly zipped line. "Ha, I made you look" she teased, still dancing and

singing. He walked past and shoved her shoulder, knocking her to the ground playfully. "You going to

get my money?" She called out as a reminder as he walked away. He replied by flipping her off. Kate

grinned and sat back up, grabbing another hand from the pile. "Well, I guess its boys agenst girls now"

she noted, seeing that it's now two on two. "What was it before? Boys agenst girls vs red neck?"

Hurly inquired. "Yeah, something like that. Lets play" She grinned excitedly. Before they could begin,

Shannon stopped behind them. "Claire?" she asked softly. Claire turned and looked up at her, as did

every one else. "Earlier today, when I was watching Ben, he wondered off into the jungle. He's fine

now, but when I found him he was with a man. I didn't get a good look at him and he ran when he saw

me and Boone" she explained softly. "Oh my god. Is he alright?" Claire asked with surprise. "He's got

a scraped knee, but he's fine. He's been sleeping most of the day" she answered. "Why didn't you

come get me when it happened?" Claire asked, rising to her feat. "Jack asked me not to. He's worried

about your condition" She explained softly. "My condition?" Claire questioned, with a look of

confusion. "He says you haven't been feeling well lately and he didn't want anything to set you off"

Shannon explained solemnly. "What? " Kate questioned a little defensively, standing behind Claire.

"I'm going to go see Ben" Claire announced, and headed off quickly towards Shannon's tent. "I'm

going to talk with Jack" Kate announced after her and stomped of in a different path. Charlie stood,

biting his lip uncomfortably. "I guess I should go with Claire" he stated. She nodded, understanding

and watched as he wondered off. "Did you tell her?" Sayid questioned, walking up behind her.

Shannon nodded. "Well then, lets get going" He suggested quietly, so no one close by could hear.

"...go where?" She questioned, looking confused. "The jungle"

Boone's feet pounded agenst the ground as he ran. He'd lost the man a long way back, and had been

fallowing his faint trail ever since. The sun had gone down, leaving the forest dark and hard to see.

Without a flash light he should have turned back long ago. But something inside him forced him to

keep going. A bolt of energy shot through him as he ran with a look of determination. His heart raced.

He had been moving so fast his could barely see as he passed tree after tree, and was paying attention

to the path ahead, not his feet. It was only moments before they met nothing but thin air, sending him

tumbling down a dirty hill. He caught a thick root before plunging to the rocks below, and tried to pull

himself up. But the more he pulled, the more the root creaked as it was pulled out of the soil, and he

feared that soon it would snap. It was at that moment when a hand reached down. Reluctantly, he

grabbed it and allowed the stranger to pull him up. He coughed the dust out of his lungs once reaching

the surface for a moment before looking up to see the man he'd been chasing the entire day. "Who are

you" he coughed, stareing up at him. The man looked down solemnly, before answering...


	29. Monsters and Humans

Disclaimer: I don't own lost. The next chapters kind of long, still on the same night as the last two. its been a long day, in fic I suppose. Has a lot or romance and a few new twist. I'd like to point out that the lyrics used in a sceen with Charlie and Claire are the real lyrics to "Catch A Falling Star" and that the paper Shannon translated is a real song as well. Its called "Windmills of Your Mind" and its one of my favorites. With that said, let the show begin....

FATE

Monsters and Humans

_The path was dark. Walls of leaves swarmed on either side, brushing agenst him as he walked. In _

_his dream, Jack saw himself as a young child at the age of nine, wondering through the jungle _

_down this narrow, claustrophobic path. Shadowy figures move past so quick that all you could _

_see were blurs. The trees moved around him as he squeezed his way through. Slowly, as often in _

_dreams, the leaves of the jungle began to turn into the starched, pale pink walls of the main hall _

_way in the house he grew up in, leading him down to his bed room at the very end. The white _

_door stood tall. Bright agenst the black shadows that still moved past it. And the scratchy cackles _

_sounding from inside the walls. He moved past an open door and glanced inside to see Shannon _

_and Sayid, still in the jungle. He was helping her climb up a the rocks with her hand wrapped _

_firmly in his. She smiled up at him. He continued to move down the hall, passing another open _

_door to his right witch looked like a hospital room. Inside, he saw himself standing beside a _

_women giving birth, as a fully grown man of course, in a white lab coat. He soon recognized the _

_women as Claire. There were two men standing beside her, one was Charlie, who was holding _

_her hand tightly as he knelt down beside her. The other he didn't recognize. This man stood with _

_his back agenst the wall, looking on bitterly. He moved on down the hall, witch seemed to get _

_thinner every moment. He could smell the powder from the dry wall and paint as he moved _

_through. The next open door showed the inside of a tent, where Sun lay on her side asleep. Jin _

_sat up behind her, stareing down at her with a look of rage in his eyes. Past this door to the next _

_on the right. It was the last he'd see before his own room. Inside, he saw Kate, walking through _

_the grass in the medow and out to the lake they had come across. She smiled as someone who's _

_face could not me seen wrapped his arms around her. Little Jack finally made it to his room and _

_slowly opened the tall white door. He found the same plain bed room as he grew up in. The walls _

_a pale blue, as was the blankets to his bed. The ceiling and carpet both white, but appeared _

_fadded in the present of the brightly clean pillows and dresser off to the side. A window stood next _

_to his bed, witch shown out onto their front yard. A few toys laid around on the floor, witch _

_included a plain from when he'd gone through his 'piloting' stage, long before he realized his _

_fear of heights. He looked around some more, letting the memory sink in. His gaze trailed over to _

_his closet on the wall across from him. The white door and raddling wooden knob just barely _

_cracked, leaving a black shadow across the carpet. The shadow grew and the laughter rose as the _

_door slowly opened, revealing the figure of a man standing inside, entirely made up of black and _

_white T.V. static, except for the item he held up in both hands. The news paper. _

Jack sat up in his bed, eyes flew open. He would have screamed if words could escape his mouth.

He breathed heavily as he realized where he was. He could still smell the powder from the walls,

and that they were closing in around him. "Jack, what's wrong?" Kate asked, sitting up beside him.

"Nothing. I'm alright" He assured her breathlessly. She wasn't convinced. "Really. It was just a

bad dream. Go back to sleep" he suggested calmly, forcing a smile. "Well what was the dream

about?" she asked with concern. "Nothing. I don't even remember" he lied. He remembered every

second. It was replaying over in his head as he spoke. "Please, go back to sleep" he pleaded, not

wanting to alarm her. "Are you sure?" she persisted. "Yes, positive" he assured, and laid his head

back agenst the pillow. She gave in and snuggled up beside him. It wasn't long before she'd fallen

back asleep. But Jack on the other hand remained wide awake. He continued to play the dream

over and over in his head.

"How's he doing?" Charlie asked, looking up from his spot on the bed as Claire slid in through the

door. "He's fine, I didn't wake him. Sun's watching him right now" She explained simply. Charlie

nodded, and gave a week smile. "Are you ok?" he asked, a little concerned. "Yeah, I'm fine" she

assured as she sat down infront of him. "Ok, good. If you need anything let me know" he smiled

compassionately laying his hand over hers. "Well, now that you mention it..." she said

suggestively, a smile crossing her face. A grin came across his as well as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Ow! Damn it!" Shannon muttered loudly as her arm was scraped by a sharp twig poking out from

one of the bushes. "Are you alright?" Sayid asked as he turned back. "Yeah..." she sighed, tilting

her arm to look at the scranch. "Alright. Lets keep going" he suggested in a whisper, and continued

through the trees. "Where are we going again?" she questioned a little agitated, trying to keep up as

she ungracefully pushed through the trees. "To the caves" he reminded softly, glancing back at her.

His features were hard to make out in the dark, and the dim light from the moon reflected of his

eyes, makeing them almost glow. "What?" she whispered loudly, not caching him the first time. A

large leaf hand jumped up in her path, and she'd been to distracted with batting it away to hear him.

"To the caves" he repeated, stopping to face her. "I thought we were looking for Boone?" she

questioned, her voice rising even if she whispered. "We are. This will help us first" he assured.

"what will?" she questioned, now fully aggravated. Sayid sighed. "You'll see when we get there" he

answered, trying to keep himself calm. "Why can't you tell me now?" she questioned with

determination, crossing her arms. "Because I want to keep going" he explained, getting more

aggravated with her. "Well I want to find my brother" she insisted angrily. "And we won't if you keep

wasting time!" he snapped with frustration. Shannon took a deep breath before shoving past him.

"Shannon, what are you doing?" he questioned in a loud whisper as he walked after her. He pushed

through the leaves, trying to fallow her. He heard her call something back, but her voice was distorted

over the sound of leaves rustling all around them. "Shannon?!" he called again, still whispering, but

loud enough for her to here. He could only see little clips of her as he pushed through the leaves. She

was walking to fast. Soon, he'd lose site of her completely. He stopped for a moment, patting his side

to find the small mag light he'd been carrying. He had to look down, unable to feel it. He found it

finally, and slipped it out of his belt. He quickly twisted it on as he looked up, eyes back on the path.

The trees infront of him had stopped moving. "Shannon?" he called in a worried tone as his eyes

shifted around. "Yeah?" he heard her call back. Her voice sounded distant. Something shifted in the

trees close by. His eyes shifted to the sound instinctively, but saw nothing. "Stay where you are" he

instructed firmly, and began walking after her. He moved slow in order to make less noise as he

pushed past the twigs and leaves. "Sayid?" he heard her call, speaking low as if her were right infront

of her. A look of confusion crossed his face as he held the flash light out, pushing the leaves away with

his arm as he walked. He could still see nothing but the leaves. "Ugh, I can't here you" she huffed

moodily. "Just stay there" he insisted again, not sure what she was talking about. "No, you come here."

she continued to talk, completely ignoring him. He soon became aware that who ever she was talking to

was not himself. He moved quicker, listening as she spoke to the unknown figure. "This really isn't

funny. If you don't cut it out I'm leaving!" she snapped, her voice getting shaky with both anger and

fear. He brook through the trees and spotted her in an opening. She was surmounted by trees, in a little

circle where the leaves had disappeared. He had caught the last thing she said, and watched in

confusion as she talked away from him, facing the trees with her side turned to him. "Shannon?" he

questioned, emerging from the leaves and walking up to her side. He glanced in the direction she was

looking in and saw nothing. When he came to her side she gasped, and looked as if she'd just awoken

from something. She blinked a few times before turning to him. "Who were you talking to?" he

questioned, looking at her with confusion. Her jaw hung open as the thought, trying to remember. The l

look on her face told him she didn't know. "Come on. Lets keep going. Stay close" he suggested, and

held her arm as he moved forward.

Sun sat with her legs crossed, watching Ben as he slept. A potted plant sat in her lap, and she continued

to study the large orange flower witch had grown out of it. Its collars were far to bright to be grown

form any where in her country, but its size and shake reminded her of the one Jin had given her before

they got on the plane. If only he hadn't show her that flower, she would be safe in America. Away from

this island and its demons, both monster and human. The sound of the tent door rustling made her

jump, and she looked over her shoulder to see Michael slide in. "Hey. Just checking on you guys to

make sure your alright" he explained a little nervously as he sat down beside her. "Thank you" she

smiled, a little embarrassed. "So are you ready to tell me what happened?" he questioned in concern.

Her eyes trailed away from his. "I told you.." she began softly. She had conducted a story about her

falling, and hitting the side of her face. The story wasn't even believable to her, and she found herself

babbling about none since as she spoke. _Why was it so hard to lie to this man?_ She wondered as her

eyes caught hers again, cutting her off without even speaking. The words were simply stuck in her

troat, and for a moment she even forgot to breath. "You told me you fell. But I don't believe you" he

finished for her. She looked down once again, unable to continuing defending herself. Of Jin, for that

matter. "So please, tell me what I already know." he added softly, seriously. She took a gulp, preparing

herself to give in. To finally tell someone what she'd been wanting to say for many years. She took in a

deep breath, and began.

Kate sat up, awoken by the sounds of Jack as he mumbled to himself while loudly pushing through the suitcases on the floor, throwing items all over the room. "Jack, what are you doing?" she asked sleepily

as she pulled the covers off her hair still a tumbling mess from her sleep. "I'm looking for that paper"

he explained without looking up as he continued flinging the items out of his way. "Jack, maybe you

should-" she began to suggest with a look of concern as she came to his side, gently placing a hand on

his shoulder. "Where is it?!" he demanded, ignoring her words completely. "Jack..." she repeated

worriedly, stareing down at him. "What?!" he snapped, looking up at her. "You need to calm down"

she insisted firmly, not at all effected by his yelling. He took a deep breath and snapped out of it. "Your

right. I'm sorry. But I have to find it" he explained with a sigh. She nodded, understanding. "Let me

help you" she suggested, and helped him dig through the pile.

Claire's head fell back agenst the pillow as Charlie continued to run a trail of kisses down her neck. Her

hand pressed agenst the back of his head, fingers woven through the matted hair as she held him closer

to her. He buried his face into her neck, breathing hard agenst her skin. Her back arched as his hand

moved up her side, bringing the material from her shirt up with it as the kisses moved down her chest.

Her fingers crept down the back of his neck, pulling tighter as his other hand ran up her thigh. She sat

up suddenly, startled by the hard thud in her stomach. "What is it?" he asked worriedly, quickly

scrambling to sit up. She took a breath of relief as she stared down at her stomach. "They're kicking"

she explained, un enthused. "Claire....baby's are suppose to kick" he reminded her, eyeing her with a

look of concern. "They aren't kicking me, they're kicking each other" she corrected herself, continuing

to stare down at her stomach. "Oh, well that's a different story" he grinned up at her. She smiled back,

but only for a second. "My god, they're doing it again" she groaned, her gaze falling back to her bare

abdomen. "Maybe I can help" he suggested with a Cheshire grin. "Cut it out you two, don't make me

come in there" he yelled into the top of her shirt, holding it out with one hand. Claire's shoulders shook as she laughed, her head thrown back so her hair trailed along the pillows. "I love you" she beamed

when he looked back up, brushing her hand over his hair. He laughed a little before laying a soft kiss on

her lips. "So, where were we?" he questioned with a grin. She pushed his shoulder playfully, but with

enough force to get him on his back before rolling onto of him. He propped himself up on his elbow as

he leaned up to kiss her. Her thumb trailed down his cheek before she placed her hand agenst his neck,

pulling him closer to her as they kissed. Her other arm was wrapped around his shoulders as her fingers

trailed across his back. He wrapped both of his arms around her waist, his hands pressed agenst her

bare back as he pulled her closer to him. She continued to kiss down his neck as they moved up her

sides, lifting the shirt up with them. She leaned back, holding her arms over her head as

she allowed him to take off her shirt. For a moment she was blinded as the shirt passed over he head

and was pulled over her arms before being flung to the side. Her hair fell down around her back and her

shoulders as he eyes opened again. His smile grew as his eyes moved over her body, admiring every

thing about her.

"Are we almost there?" Shannon asked softly, looking around paranoid as she hugged herself to keep

warm. "Yes" he assured, turning back to check on her. She shivered and continued walking. He would

have offered her an article of clothing if he'd been wearing any thing more than a wife beater, but could

do nothing for her. It wasn't long before they made it to the caves. Shannon looked around,

recognizing the place even in the dark as Sayid moved around, feeling agenst the walls of the caves in

search of something. She opened her mouth to ask what his was doing, but closed it again. She decided

not to bother him with questions. Instead, she simply sat down on one of the rocks and trusted him to

know what he was doing. _After all, he has gotten me this fare. And he is the only one helping me. _

_Actually, he's the only person who noticed something was wrong to begin with. If it weren't for him, on _

_one would even know Boone was missing. Well I'm glad I've got him helping me, because I'd have never _

_had the guts to come here alone. Why is he helping me anyways? _she though as she watching him move

around, squinting to make out his figure in the dark. "Oh no..." he said freely, with a look of worry as he

stared at the opening to one of the caves. "What?" she asked, standing once again. "Its open" he

explained, in a voice that sounded as if he were announcing the end of the world. Her heart sunk when

she thought that he very well could be. "So...?" she questioned, not seeing the problem of a cave with

an opening. "This is the cave where we had been keeping Danielle. The fact that its open means she's

escaped" he explained calmly, leaning his head agenst the wall of the cave. _Shannon_ jaw dropped. "How is

that possible?" she questioned in shock. "She must have had help. Lots of it" he explained solemnly. "So

what now?" she questioned, a little disappointed that they were now farther from finding Boone than

before. "Well, we either go back and wait until morning so we can fallow his trail, or we keep going on

instinct" he explained simply. Shannon thought for a moment. "What if we stay here and wait until

morning?"she suggested. "Sounds reasonable to me..."

"I don't understand. If he keeps treating you like this, why do you stay with him?" Michael questioned,

after hearing Sun's confessions for over an hour. "I tried to leave once. Before we got on the plane. I had

it all planned out. I was suppose to leave at the air port, make them think I was dead" she explainedsoftly,

tears still fresh in her eyes. "Why didn't you?" he asked with a concerned interest. "I couldn't leave him"

she answered softly, looking down as if in shame. "On the day he purposed, he gave me this flower. This

big beautiful flower...and then at the plane station, just when I was about to leave I looked back, just for

one last time...and there he was, holding the flower....and I couldn't go, because I knew he still cared" she

continued mournfully. "If he cares about you so much, then why dose he hurt you?" Michael inquired

persuasively. "Its hard for you to understand, but where we come from things are just...different. A wife is

suppose to respect her husband, and trust his interest. And to contradict him, its like betrayal...." she tried to

explained. "So instead he's the one who's done wrong and he's tricked you into blaming yourself" he

confirmed, still no where near convinced. "No, its not like that-" she tried to assure him, but it was no use.

The look on his face said it all, and she bowed her head, knowing he was right. Another tear rolled down her

check as she stared down at the sand before her. After a moment she looked up once again, looking him

dead in the eye. "will you help me?" she asked softly, nervously. "I'll do everything I can" he assured her.

His expression remained serious as laid his hand over hers.

"I don't understand!" Jack was saying, as he flipped through the pages of the news paper. "How could we

be the only ones in this obituary. That papers from New York!" he exclaimed, stareing down at the two

pages filled with the faces of the plane crash victims. "Maybe they ran out of room" Kate suggested

skeptically, not knowing what else to say. "This isn't funny, Kate" she sneered, turning a look at her.

"Well...I just don't see the big deal about a news paper" she explained with a shrug. "The big deals is that its

dated two months after the crash. Witch means some how it made its way here all the way from New York

after the crash had already happened. Tell me, Kate, how the hell is that possible?!" he ranted. "I don't

know, Jack. But theres a logical explanation. You of all people should know that. You're a doctor for Christ

sakes!" she exclaimed, getting a little fed up with his attitude. "Yeah, I'm a doctor. So I'm not suppose to

believe in anything but facts, right?" he questioned angrily. "That's not what I meant-"she tried to explained.

"Well then what did you mean?" he interrupted impatiently. "I just don't see why the paper is so important

that you have to go searching for it in the middle of the night just to find something you already knew

about!" she exclaimed. he took a deep breath and looked away from her. "So tell me, Jack. What's the

reason?" she questioned, her voice lowering once again as she calmed herself down. "It was in my dream" he sighed in surrender. "What did you see?" she questioned softly. "Its hard to explained. But it has

something to do with this paper and I think its trying to tell me something" he explained emotionally. Kate

sighed, not knowing what to think. Jack wasn't the type to believe in dreams, ever. Something strange had

gotten into him, and it was starting to make her worry.

Charlie lay on his back with one hand behind his head. The other rested on Claire's shoulder as she used his

stomach as a pillow. "Your amazing" he mused, beaming down at her. "Your not so bad your self" she

replied playfully, walking her fingers up his chest. He took her hand in his and kissed her across the knuckles

before holding it over his stomach. She snuggled in closer, resting her head back down on his shoulder. A

sleepy yawn escaped her mouth as she settled back down. "Tired?" he questioned with a suggestive grin.

"Mm, hm..." she nodded agenst his chest. "Want me to sing you to sleep?" he asked playfully. "If you

like..." she replied with a laugh. She felt his chest rise and fall as he pulled his arm around her tighter and

began to sing. "_Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away, catch a falling star _

_and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day_..." he sang, moving her hand with his gently to the beat.

"_For love may come and tap you on the shoulder, some star-less night, just incase you feel you wanna hold _

_her, you'll have a pocket full of star light_" he continued with a light smile. Claire smiled euphorically and

slowly began to join in. "_So, catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away, catch a _

_falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day_" they sang together softly as they held each

other close. Slowly her eyes flittered shut as she dazed off to his dreamy voices.

Shannon sat up, back agenst the rock as the cold breeze blew through. She'd wrapped her self in the bright

pink shawl as best as she could, but remained chilled. Sayid slept on his side only inches away, his back to

her. The bay lay at her feet. Unable to sleep, she decided she might as well do something to keep herself occupied, so quietly she unzipped the bag and pulled at the map she'd been translating and looked over it. It

still made no since to her. Just a bunch of gibberish about circles, tunnels, apples, windmills and space.

Something was spinning, or revolving, and something about a picture in a hall way, and drums. It truly made

no since. But the tone had something familiar to it. Something she couldn't put her finger on. She stare over

the words again and tried hard to remember their meanings. After a moment, it came to her. So simply that

she almost felt dumb for not realizing what it was. quickly, she pulled out the note pad and pin she'd been

using to wright down and began scribbling the translations. After a moment, she stopped and read over her

wrighting. _Like a tunnel that you fallow, to a tunnel of its own. Down a hallow to a cavern where the sun is _

_never shown. Like a door that keeps revolving in a half forgotten dream, or the ripples from a pebble _

_someone tosses in a stream. Like a clock who's hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face, and the _

_world is like an apple spinning silently in space, like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind. _

A triumphant smile swept across her face as she stared down at the paper. She could no longer wait until

morning. Now that she understood the paper, she hand to look for herself. Quickly, she shoved the map

back inside the bag and zipped it back up. She slipped the mag light carefully out of his belt and twisted it

on, holding it in her hand as she slowly climbing to her feat and heading into the cave.

"Are you sure its alright? Because I can say if you like" Michele offered, turning in the door way. "No, you

go get some sleep. I'll be fine here" she assured him with a smile. "Alright. Good night, Sun" he said with a

little nod. "Good night" she replied, and watched as he slid out the door. She sighed a little before crawling

into the matt witch would normally be Shannon's bed, beside Ben and pulled the blankets around them.

Slowly her eyes fell shut and she drifted off to sleep.

"Jack, I'm worried about you" Kate explained, laying her hand on his fore arm. "Don't be" he insisted in a

huff of breath. "Then stop acting like this" she begged with pleading eyes. "Like what, Kate?" he snapped,

turning to her. "Your not being yourself" she explained firmly. "Oh? And how would you know that?" he

questioned sarcastically. For a moment, she was taken aback. "How can you say that?" She questioned in

shock, outraged at the question. " I've spent every night with you for almost a year! I know you better than

anyone on this island!" she reminded him. "And yet you know nothing about me" he protested with

aggravation. "Well you know what, Jack? Get over it. Because I'm the closest anyone ever gonna get" she

snapped before rising to her feat. "What the hell is that suppose to mean?" he questioned skeptically,

walking after her as she stormed out of the tent. "It means the reason no one knows anything about you is

because you won't tell them anything!" she exclaimed angrily, stopping to face him. "I don't tell them

anything? Look who's talking!" he exclaimed angrily. "Yeah? Well maybe that's because I don't want

people to know me. Maybe I like keeping some aspects of my life secret. But atleast I don't go around

whining about it!" she ranted accusing. "Why? What is the point of keeping everything secret?" he

badgered, fallowing her still as she walked away from him. "I don't know, Jack. You tell me!" she yelled

without looking at him. "Will you two shut the hell up?" a smug southern voice called from his tent. "Shut

up, Sowyer" the two snapped in unison, turning to the instigating, aggravated man sitting outside his tent.

"Look it, love birds. Some of us singles are trying to sleep, so take it in the tent and keep it the fuck down,

please" Sowyer snapped insensitively. "Look, Kate. Neither one of us are the most open people, but I need

you to just trust me with this" Jack compromised, a little calmer now that he could ignore Sowyer. "And

what if I can't?" she questioned, crossing her arms. "Your not makeing this any easier" he noted with

frustration. "Well neither are you!" she shoot back defensively. "Oh my god! Will you two look at

yourself? Jesus! Your bickering like a married couple? And over what? Because bad ass over here is to big

of a man to tell you his little insecurities ? Let me tell you something. The man's mind is a fucked up place

freckles, and I don't think you wanna go there. So maybe you should just trust him and let him do what he

needs to do?" Sowyer suggested, makeing his way into the conversation with no invitation needed. "Stay

out of it, Sowyer" Jack snapped angrily, turning to him. "No...he's right, Jack" Kate said softly, putting her

head down. "He is?" Jack questioned, rasing an eye brow. "I am?" Sowyer fallowed with a similar

expression. "Yes" Kate nodded. "Your right, I don't know you. And if this dream or what ever it is you

thinks trying to tell you something, then I need to just stand back and let you find it" she explained

apologetically. For a moment Jack looked like he didn't know what to say. "Uh...thanks, for understanding"

he said after a moment with a little shrug. "Yeah..." she sighed, then looked up. "Let me know when you

find it" she then finished bitterly, and began walking away. "Wait, Kate!" Jack called, about to fallow her.

He stopped himself, knowing that they could argue all night and she'd still be to stubborn to give in. "Damn

it!" he cursed angrily before shooting a leer at Sowyer. "Hey, don't look at me. You're the one who won't

open up to the girl" Sowyer said defensively, holding up his hands as if surrendering. "Shut up.." Jack

muttered before shoving past him to his tent. A slick smirk crossed Sowyer's face as Jack staggered off to

his tent miserably. "I love my work" he mused to himself before walking after her.

Sayid sat up, and quickly looked over his shoulder. "Shannon?" he whispered, squinting to see in the dark.

No response. "Shannon!?" he called again, as he sat up. He fumbled to his feet and felt around his waste

band for the flash light. It was gone. He looked down at the ground where she'd been sitting, and spotted

the pad of translations sitting on the ground. He lifted it up and looked over the front page. The wrighting

was new he could tell, and the ink was a little smeared. He didn't take time to read it fully. He glanced up

from the paper to the opening of the caves. "Oh no..." he sighed grimly, putting two and to together.

"Shannon?!" he called, leaning inside the caves. She'd gone way to far in to here him now, and the inside

was pitch black. There was no way he could make it through there and find her safely, but he had to try

none the less. _Why, Shannon? Why did you have to do this alone?_ He wondered to himself as he felt his way

through the pitch black tunnel into the cave. He squinted hard, but still could not even see his own hand

infront of his face as he walled. If he fell or got turned in the wrong direction, who knows how badly he

could be hurt. And at the pace he was moving he'd never catch up to her in time. The whole idea was

dangerous, rash and senseless. "Shannon?!" he called again, despretly hoping to here her call back. Instead,

the only sound that returned was the rumbling of the walls around him. "Shit" he muttered, as he quickly

made his way back to the opening. The rocks fell around him, caving in, in a cloud of dirt and dust as he

finally made his way out. He coughed histaricly as he stared back at the only entrance to the cave witch was

now destroyed. With no other option, he snatched up the bag and ran his way back to the beach.

Sun's eyes flew open, startled by the sudden paranoid feeling of being watched. She looked over her

shoulder to see Jin stareing down at her. A look of surprise crossed her face as she quickly sat up. "Don't

pretend I don't know what your doing" he instructed with a determined look. "It stops now, Sun" he

confirmed. She eyed him with confusion, trying not to show her fear. "I don't know what your talking

about..." she assured him uncertainly. "Don't lie to me. I'm talking about you, and that man. Your going to

stay away from him, and every one else on this island, understand? It stops now" with that, he grabbed a

hold of her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Jin, I can't leave-" she tried to explain, gesturing with her free

hand at the pile of blankets witch Ben was hidden under. Jin ignored her as he dragged her out of the tent by

her arm. Unable to stop him verbally, she ripped her arm out of his grip and pulled herself away. He turned

to her angrily, his chest rising and falling visibly as he breathed. "I am not leaving. I am watching this child

because he needs to be protected" Sun confirmed sternly. "Let his mother watch him. You're my wife, you

come with me" he demanded, and went to grab her arm once again. "Not any more!" she replied forcefully,

pulling away from him. "I'm not taking orders from you any more. I may be your wife but I am _not_ your

property. And unlike this child I do not need to be protected, and if I did, the last person I'd want to have

doing it was you" she explained bravely, looking him directly in the eye. Jin grimaced, speechless for a

moment. "How dare you do this to me? After all I have done for you? Provided you with a home, a life you

always wanted? I gave you every thing you ever dreamed of!" he tried to convince her, talking firmly in a

low, demanding voice as he moved closer to her. "No, not every thing" she assured him, looking down at the

ground. "What, then? What more could you possibly want?" he sneered. "Love" was the simple answer, as

she looked him in the eye one last time. And with that, she walked away. And no flower or sweet remark

could bring her back. She was free. Jin watched her leave angrily, stareing long after before returning to his

own lonely tent. She sank to her knees in the middle of the sand, pulling her skirt down to cover her knees. It

was only seconds before she became overwhelmed with emotion, and the sobs broke out loudly as she cried

rivers into her open palms.

"Dad, is she alright?" Walt asked, standing in the door way of their tent. "Yeah, she's fine." Michael assured,

stareing on as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Never better.." he mused, a look of stone upon his face.

"How's that?" Walk questioned, raising an eye brow as he looked up at his dad. "Because....she's free" he

explained, turning to back to him.

Sowyer tried hard to keep up as he fallowed Kate through the trees. "May I ask where your going, freckles?"

he called, pushing the thick leaves out of his way as he walked not far behind her. It seemed like anything she

pushed past snapped back at him with twice the force. "Stop fallowing me" was her only reply, and she said it

without even looking back. "Oh yeah, and leave you walking through tulgy wood in the dark all by yourself"

he called back sarcastically. "I can take care of myself" he assured him with an attitude, trying to lose him in

the trees without running. "So can I, but you don't see me walking through here at night" he exclaimed. Kate

stopped and turned to him. "You come out here by yourself all the time!" she reminded him. "Well, yeah, but not in the dark!" he corrected himself, still keeping his point. She crossed her arms and raised an eye brow at

him skeptically. "Only when I have to take a piss" he assured, giving the scouts honors sign. She gave a laugh

and shook her head. "Theres that smile I was looking for" he grinned triumphantly, take a few steps forward.

"You're an ass" she sighed, before she began turning away. "And you're a bitch" he grinned, continuing to

fallow her. "Oh, thanks" she muttered sarcastically, looking back at him over her shoulder. "Wasn't meant to

be a compliment" he shrugged. "what was it, then?" she questioned skeptically. "A generalization that put

you and me together" he explained. "Yeah, right.." she muttered skeptically as she broke through the trees.

They had reached water fall that the two of them had found long ago. 'Oh, look. Its our spot" he mused

sarcastically, pretending to be romantic. "Our spot?" she asked, rasing an eye brow. "Well, were the ones

who found it, ain't we?" he reminded her. "No, I found it. You just happened to be with me" she confirmed.

"Well, aren't we selfish?" he teased with a smirk as he unbuckled his belt. "yeah, I'm the selfish one" she

huffed sarcastically, crossing her arms. He grinned up at her as continued to remove his shirt. "What are you

doing?" she questioned, eyeing him strangely. "I'm taking a swim in lake Kate, thank you very much" he

explained, tossing the shirt and belt aside as he sat down on the rocks and began untiing his shoe laces. She

laughed, and shook her head in disbelief. "What, is there a charge or something?" he teased, looking up at her

as he slid the timberland boot off his foot. "No...but its probably freezing" she explained. "Well, I guess we

won't know until I get it now will we?" he replied, removing his other sock and shoe before standing back on

his feet. "Suit yourself" she sighed, putting her hands up in serenader. "Oh, what? You ain't coming with

me?" he teased, smirking up at her as he walked backwards into the water. "No" she assured him simply.

"Aw, come on, freckles..." he insisted. She kept her feet secure on the rocks, makeing it very clear that she

wasn't getting in. "Oh, no! I'm drowning! Come on, wonder women! Help me out!" he teased, splashing

about as if her were actually drowning. "Having fun?" she questioned, hands on hips as she watched his

childish attempt. "Are you kidding? This is a hoot! To bad I have to keep all this fun to myself" he explained, still trying to be persuasive. "Well, I think I'll leave the 'hooting' up to you" she assured him, and lowered

herself onto the rocks. "So tell me this then, freckles..." he began, wading his way over to her. "If you didn't

wanna swim, why'd you come out here?" Kate thought for a moment, looking down at him. "I dunno. The

view" she answered, glancing up at the water fall. "Yeah, I guess the view ain't bad" he teased, looking

directly at her breast. "You pervert" she exclaimed, with a roll of her eyes. "Takes one to know one" he

replied, pulling himself up so that they were eye to eye by crossing his arms over her legs and pushing up on

the rocks. "So are you getting in, or what?" he asked once again, talking very close to here ear. "I told you,

no" she answered finally. "Fine, I didn't want it to come to this but you gave me no choice" he sighed. And

with that he grabbed a hold of her legs and pulled her into the water with him. He laughed Histaricly as she

popped back out of the water, now soaking wet. "Oh, you bastard.." she threatened as she made a move

forward. He quickly swam backwards to escape the attack. "Woo, carefully freckles. Wouldn't want you to

hurt yourself" he teased playfully. She made a jump at him, dunking his head under the water. He pushed

himself back up, pulling her over his shoulder and tossing her backwards into the water. She came up

laughing once again. "You're a dead man" she confirmed, and with that she ducked back under the water. He

looked around for a moment, unable to see her moving in the dark water. Before he knew it, shed tugged him

under. They fought playfully under water, trying hard to keep the other one down. They moved

unconsciously under the fall before Kate managed to swim to the top, catching only a gulp of air before he

grabbed her by the thigh and pulled her back under. She kicked herself out of his grip and, holding onto the

slippery wall of the cave, pulled her self up. She gasped for air as she rested her back agenst the rocks. She

closed her eyes and turned her head to the side. Her chest rising and falling as the air re-filled her lungs. After

a moment, she turned back to see Sowyer at the opposite side, face only inches away from her. She gasped

and jumped a little, startled by his sudden appearance. He couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my god. You scared

the hell out of me" she exclaimed breathlessly, holding here chest with one hand. "No kidding. You should

have seen your face" he teased, still laughing. She glared at him playfully and tried to dunk him once again.

She managed to get her hands over his head, elbows pinned onto his shoulders, but was unable to push him

under. He took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her waist, and try to pull her down. Unbalanced,

they stumbled backwards until her back was agenst the wall. They caught each others eyes for only a moment

before pulling in for a spontaneous kiss that neither of them tried to stop.


	30. Almost Every day

Disclaimer: this is the last time I can say it for this chapter, so I don't own lost.(duh) and yes, chapter three-O is the last, but there will defiantly be a sequel, so keep your eyes open.

**OK! I finally got my mail back! **

**Alatarial10: I was so shocked about the last episode! AH! But yeah, that's for keeping up the reviews cause its been hard to write without the feed back. And sorry about the long wait, but this next chapters going out with a bang! **

**Tara812: Thanks. **

**Katelyn-black: Aw, thank you. I really am sorry about the spelling, though. I just don't seem to have a brain, even with spell check. But I think I'm getting better. I hope...**

FATE

Almost Every Day

The sun had come up, after a long, restless night for many of the survivors. Hurley sat by the fire,

preparing his breakfast. He was ready to dig in before being distracted by the cheerful humming

coming from behind him. He turned to see Charlie grinning as he walked past, humming aloud.

"Dude, what's going on?" Hurly questioned, turning to face him. Charlie looked around in

confusion, assuming he was talking to some one else. "You man" Hurly assured, makeing it clear

that he was talking to him. "Nothing..." he shrugged, no quite getting it. "What are you

all...'hummy' about?" Hurly asked, as Charlie took a seat down beside him. The grin widened on

his face. "Wait, don't tell me" Hurly decided, stopping before he opened his mouth. "Hungry?" he

questioned, offering up plate. "No thanks" Charlie said, waving it away. "Suit yourself" he

shrugged in response, and dug in. Their awkward silence was put to a quick stop when Claire

approached with Ben crooked on her hip, head resting on her shoulder with a thumb in his mouth.

"Damn it, Charlie" she sighed, standing before him. "What? What I do?" he questioned quickly as

he looked up, talking fast when nervous. "You like see food" she explained, although it didn't tell

him much. "I'm sorry...." he apologized, rather knowing why or not. But it showed clearly in his

expression that he had no clue what she was talking about. "Now I'm going to be craving it because

you passed it on to our kids!" she clarified accusingly. "And that's bad because...?" he questioned teasingly, knowing he'd have to cut it out soon or she'd throw something at him like pregnet woman were known to do. "Because, I hate sea food!" she explained. He mouthed a 'oh' as the point became clear. "Sorry, luv" he apologized again, leaning up to kiss her forehead. "You better be" she grumbled. "Oh, hi Hurly" she grinned, looking over at the man who was watching their flirtations with a weary look of sickness. "Hi.." he muttered before turning back to his food. He looked up again when he noticed the little hand reaching out infront of his face. "What? This?" he asked, pointing a Spoork at his plate. Ben continued to reach for the plate. "Get your own" Claire teased, shifting him on her hip. He squealed in protest, though his smile remained. "Here, go get some from Locke" she told him, lowering him to his feet. With that he wondered over to the man sitting at the table covered in dead things. "Are you sure its safe for him to be over there?" Hurly questioned, raising an eye brow over at Locke, who was digging the insides out of a boar as they spoke. "Of chorse, he's harmless...unless you're dinner" Claire explained, taking a seat between the two. "Speaking of witch, I'm hungry" she announced, turning to Charlie. "Of course you are" he grinned sarcastically, and pulled himself off the log. "Thank you, hunny" she said sweetly, smiling up at him. "no problem babe" he grinned, patting her cheek. "Hunny and babe. There goes the breakfast" Hurly murmured in disgust. "Aw, someone jealous. You want a nick name to?" Charlie teased. "No thank you" Hurly confirmed. "Lets see, sweety, sugar, doll...muffin" Charlie continued, ignoring his protest as he rambled off any pet name that popped into his head. "Dude, come on..." Hurly protested, holding his stomach sarcastically as if he were going to barf. "Alright, alright I'm going" Charlie assured, and began heading off. "By muffin" he added quickly, before he busted out laughing. "Dude!" Hurly snapped again, looking up at him angrily. "Sorry, mate. Couldn't help it" he apologized, whipping his eye with the back of his hand. He'd laughed so hard it had began to water. "Get out of here before I have to get up" Hurly threatened sarcastically. Charlie shoved his hands into his pockets as he wondered off to find Claire something that hadn't been mutilated by Locke, who was currently being occupied with his new company. Instead of speaking up, Ben stood at his side and waited to be noticed. It wasn't long before Locke looked down and gave him a surprised grin. "Well hello" he greeted. "Hi" Ben said shyly in returned, fingers curled in his mouth. "Hungry?" Locke questioned, indicating to the food. Ben nodded, a grin crossing his face. "Not a man of many words are we?" Locke questioned as he began preparing him a plate. Ben shook his head in response as he climbed up onto the chair close by. "Hmm, must get it from your mother" he noted, glancing over at Claire who was contentiously looking back at the two over her shoulder while she listened to Hurly talk. Ben shrugged plainly. "Well, here you go" Locke smiled as he hand him the plate. Ben grinned down at the food, balancing the plate on both hands as he wiggled his way out of the chair. "Careful" Locke warned playful, brushing a hand through his fluffy blond hair before sending him back to his mom. He returned around the same time as Charlie, who carried an arm full of fruit. Claire's smile flashed at the sight of food, and she quickly reached for a loan peach, accompanied by two apples. "Your welcome" he teased bitterly as he sat down beside her. She ignored his comment, biting into the hand sized piece of fruit. Ben reached up into the bundle witch Charlie still cradled and took one of the apples. "Well, your gean pool's just flooding with manners isn't it?" he muttered sarcastically, watching as Ben wondered off without the slightest regards. "Guess so.." she shrugged innocently, before sinking her teeth into another section of the peach. Charlie nudged her shoulder playfully before turning his attention to the apple left in his hand. He lifted it to his mouth, ready to bite down when he was interrupted. He turned, along with the others to see Sayid emerge from the woods. He held onto to the tree once makeing it there, letting out an unsteady, raspy breath. "Dude you alright?" Hurly questioned casually, looking back over his shoulder. "Shannon trapped in a cave" he explained, his voice shaky and raspy. "Oh my god.." Claire gasped, finally tacking the peach out of her mouth. "What happened?" Charlie added, stumbling to his feet. "We were out looking for Boone, and we decided to stop and rest for the night....pick up the trail in the morning....and when I woke up she was gone..." he began, still clinging to the tree. His chest felt as if it were going to cave in, and his heart pounded wildly. "Here, sit down" Claire suggested, helping over to the log and setting him in her place. "I went after her in the caves, but it fell in..and now she's trapped" he finished breathlessly, bowing his head as he tried to calm himself and regain a proper breathing pattern. "How do you know she was in there?" Charlie questioned, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "Because she left this" Sayid answered, pulling the folded paper out of his pocket. He opened it in a sweaty palm and held it out for them to read. "I don't know what it means, but it was a translation-" Sayid began to elaborate, but was cut off. "I's a song" Charlie noted, stareing down at the paper. "What?" sayid questioned, looking up at him with confusion. "Its as song. I know it, one of the best" Charlie explained, pointing frantically at the paper. "So, what dose that have to do with us finding Shannon?" Hurly questioned, not catching on. "They're directions. It's like a code, telling us where to go" Charlie declared. "What's going on?" Jack questioned, appearing over them. "Shannon's trapped in a cave" Sayid answered, looking up at him. "Are you going to get her?" Michael asked, standing close behind. "Yes, of corse" Sayid replied. "Then I'm coming with you" Jack confirmed. "Me two" Michael added. "Fine with me. Lets get out supplies and go" Sayid suggested, not wanting to waste another second. "Locke, you coming?" Jack called a few moments later as he adjusted his back pack. "Think I'll stay here and keep the peace if its alright with you" he called back. Jack nodded, understanding. "Is every one ready?" Sayid questioned, pulling his back pack onto his shoulders. "I am" Jack confirmed. "Yeah, me two" Michael added, moving up beside him. "Charlie?" Sayid questioned, turning to look down at him. "What?" he asked shortly, looking back up. "Are you ready?" Sayid asked impatiently. "What, you want me to go?" Charlie asked in disbelief, pointing a finger at his own chest. "Yes" Sayid replied demandingly. "Why?" Charlie questioned as pushed himself to his feat. "Because you're the only one who knows what this means" Sayid explained, tapping the paper in his hand. "Is it alright with you?" Charlie asked, turning to Claire. "I think I can manage" she assured, squinting up at him with a magnetic smile. He didn't want to leave that smile, but alas.... he leaned down and gave her a quick peck before heading off with the rest of the group. Claire watched as they marched into the jungle one by one. She was so busy stareing after them, even after they'd disappeared from her vision, that she hadn't noticed Locke sitting down next to her. "How you feeling?" he questioned, grabbing her attention. She turned quickly, startled by his presence. She looked down after a moment, a little embarrassed for being so jumpy. "Good" she explained with a bright smile. "And the baby?" he questioned, giving and indicating nod at the place on her stomach where one hand constantly rested. "Babies" she corrected unconsciously. A questionable look showed that he didn't know what she was talking about. "Oh! Twins" she explained, again feeling a little silly. "Oh...well" he exclaimed, looking away for a moment with surprised amusement. He gave a little chuckle before turning back. "Yep. Just our luck" she sighed sarcastically, patting her stomach as she stared down it. The babies weren't even born yet and she already couldn't take her eyes off them. "Wonder if they'll be as miracles as the first.." he mushed, looking out at the little boy who was wondering around the potted garden outside Suns tent trying to catch a butterfly with his free hand, the other clutching a half eaten apple. "Yeah, he's pretty awesome" Claire grinned, beaming at the compliment, even if it wasn't directed at her personally. "Not to mention a child prodigy" Locke added. Claire turned to him quickly, her curly pigtails flipping over her shoulder as she raised an eye brow at him in confusion. "Oh, you haven't heard the news?" he questioned, reading her expression. He pulled the rolled up news paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Jack found it about a day ago, hasn't been able to quite figure it out" He explained as she her eyes ran over the pages with a look of shock. "Between you and me, I think he's a little slow" he added conspicuously, with a jokers grin. "Where did he....this is impossible" she exclaimed in a daze as she stared in aw at the paper, unable to believe her own eyes. "Oh? Look at the date" he suggested, pointing at the number at the top of the page. Claire squinted at it for a moment before catching on. "That's Ben's birthday" she explained. "It sure is. 'The day the obituary's were swept clean'...well, except us of course" he announced as if reading a head line to a new action thriller. Claire gave a confused glance before flipping to the obituaries. "But that doesn't make since, people die every day" she exclaimed in disbelief. "_Almost_...every day" he corrected with a wistful smile.

Kate lifted her head off her entangled hands, witch was the only thing separating her head from the moist soil beneath her. She pushed off the ground with her elbows, trying to remember where she was. The edges of her arm as well as the entire side of her body that she'd been laying on and then some. se sat up the rest of the way, holding the heavy sleeve of a soiled, and slightly wet flannel shirt witch was the only thing covering her. Her eyes trailed over to sowyer, who was laying on his back with his hand behind his head, propped back agenst a pare of balled up jeans he was using as a pillow. He was completely naked, bare for all to see. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing but a airy squeak escaped as she sat stareing with her jaw dropped. "Shit" she muttered to herself, eyes wide with shock. _What did you do Kate? What the hell did you do? _"Morning sunshine" Sowyer grinned sleepily as he looked over at her. Kate gave a shriek, startled to see him a wake. He couldn't help but laugh as she continued to stare wide eyed, panting in recovery. While still clutching the shirt to her chest, she felt around the dirt for her cloths and spotted a pare of wrinkled geans with the black underwear thrown over top of them and quickly snatched them up. Sowyer watched with a smirk as she pulled the little black panties over her legs and under the shirt. "Where's the fire freckles?" he questioned playfully, eyeing her as she stood, strugling to pull on the geans on while keeping the rest of her body covered. She ignored him, to frustrated with the zipper of her pants to respond to his comments, witch's annoying air had all but returned. She wondered what had been going through her head the night before as she turned her back to him, tossing the shirt over her shoulder so she could use both hands to button her jeans. "I'm talking to you" He exclaimed, a little hurt by her lack off attention. "Just...don't right now, ok?" she pleaded, glancing over at him as she located her braw and knelt down to get it. "Don't what?" he questioned, pretending to be clueless. For once, she didn't believe him. "I don't know. Get dressed" she instructed. "Why? We've got all morning before someone realizes were missing..." he reminded her suggestively, wiggling his eye brows. She glanced back at him in disgust as she hooked the snap of her bra and twisted it around her back before sliding her arms into the straps. Last night, he was charming. Now, he was repulsing. She forced herself to look away from him, fighting the erg to either slap him or vomit. "Come on, freckles. Don't you wanna cuddle or something?" he questioned a little bitterly. Her sudden change of heart wasn't exactly pleasing. "Sowyer, I'm gonna ask you one last time. Get dressed" she snapped, turning back to face him as she buttoned his shirt over her bare stomach. "And why's that?" he asked skeptically, sitting up and slowly reaching for the balled up pants behind him. "Because I'm leaving, and so are you. Because Jack is **_not_** finding out about this, and neither is any one else" she demand, shooting him a threatening look as she slipped on her shoes. "Is that so? And what if I just went and told him myself?" he questioned teasingly as he pulled the baggy, wrinkled geans on. _Don't wanna play nice? Fine. Two can play that game. _"Sowyer...don't" she begged, straightening up as she stared at him with pleading eyes. "Oh, but freckles, this is _way_ to tempting" he grinned, knowing he'd hit a weak spot. "Please" she sobbed, looking helpless. He wasn't buying it. "How's about we make a deal?" he offered, leaning back agenst the rocks after pulling his wife beater on. "I'm listening" she spoke, indicating for him to continue. "We'll have a little race. And who ever makes it back to the beach wins" He suggested with a grin. "This is a game to you?" she question in outrage. "Hell yeah! Don't pretend like last night was something meaning full to you cause we both know that's shit. Now your just trying to save your ass, and me, I'm just getting my pay back" he answered simply. "Pay back for what?" she questioned skeptically. "For being used, freckles. For being your jealous maker" he answered bitterly. Kate shook her head, denying her guilt. "Fine. Your on" she agreed, and put out a hand to shake on it. He took it firmly and gave it a hard shake before pulling her to the ground, getting his head start as he ran off into the trees.

The jungle air was thick and humid. Steam literly emerged from the ground, soaking up every drop of moisture on the leaves. Jack's eyes became blurry from the sweat dripping down on them from his forehead, and he had to squint as he pushed his way through the leaves. The others were blurry to him. Still visible and recognizable, but distorted. Like a picture being screeched from different ends. He wiped the moisture away with the back of his hand, witch did no good, and blinked agenst the light infront of him that shot in through an opening in the trees. "How much longer?" Michael questioned, using his whole arm to shield his eyes from the suns reflection. "Were almost at the caves" Sayid explained in a mono-tone voice. His mind was far away from the hot sun and sweaty air. It was in a sea off worry for Shannon, and he's own guilt for dragging her out there and letting her slip away. He should have turned back as soon as she started talking to the darkness. Now that he was snapped back to reality, he felt the need to keep up the professional conversation. Anything to keep his mind clear. Emotions were the last thing he needed in order to save Shannon. "So this song? What is it?" he asked turning to Charlie who was the most predictable candidate in the talking department. He could recall many times when the poor kid had rambled onto him about relatively anything that came to his mind, witch was a flighty and frantic one at that. "Oh, its called "windmills of your mind", Dusty Springfield, you know. One of those metaphoric druggie songs from the seventies" He explained, already out putting more information than needed. He realized this and felt a little embarrassed, ready to here a long awkward silence. But instead, Sayid gave him an appreciative smile, almost like a thank-you. He didn't know what he was being thanked for, but it was better then a rolled eye or even worse, a fake smile. "You know it by heart?" Sayid asked, slowing his pace a little so the two could walk side by side. "Yeah. All in here" he assured, tapping his temple with his middle and pointer finger. "Know the chords two...not that it would really come in handy" he explained, quickly stopping himself before he went on a bragging streak. "You never know" Sayid shrugged optimistically. A curious look crossed his face as Charlie wondered why someone was suddenly being so open. Obviously, after spending a year with the people they'd mostly warmed up to him and many even found his charms amusing, but a bright conversation with some one other than Claire was a rare occasion. Especially coming from some one who was on rampage to save his new found love. "Do you think Shannon knew it too?" Sayid asked, not really depending on him to know the answer. "Its possible. I mean, I don't know what she listens too but the first time I heard it was in my elementary school music class so I guess, you never know" he explained his answer to the fullest. Sayid smiled that 'thank you' again before turning ahead. "Were here" Jack announced, pushing past the three. "Master of the obvious" Charlie grumbled teasingly as he twisted open his watter bottle, the only piece of luggage on him other than a flash light. Both had ben shoved into the pocket of his hoodie, with was tied around his waist. "Ok, so were here. How do we get in?" Sayid questioned, turning back to the three. "We could make a tunnel in, but that would take time" Michael suggested. "Time we don't have" Sayid confirmed. "Charlie, can you find us a way in?" he questioned, turning to him. "I can try" he said skeptically, a little nervous under the sudden pressure. "Please do" Sayid said, crossing his arms as he waited for a response. _It would be a lot easer to think if you gits weren't watching me like starving vaulters._ _How is a man suppose to concentrate when my bleeding heads going in circles....circles...that's it! _"Circles" he exclaimed with a snap, echoing his thoughts. "What about them?" Jack asked, looking at him skeptically. "The caves, they all lead to the same place. Like a big freaking circle!" he explained as he laughed, grinning with accomplishment. The three exclaimed glances, deciding rather or not to trust him. "I hope your right..." Michael sighed, shifting his book bag before heading into the caves. Jack fallowed, then Sayid and finally Charlie. For a while they walked In silence, hearing their foot steps echo through the walls along with a timely dripping in the distance. Charlie's eyes wondered about the walls, watching the shapes of their shadows twist and bend to the curves of the walls as their flash lights danced across them. A smile crossed his face as the image sparked a memory in his mind. "What are you smiling for?" Sayid asked in a curious whisper. "The walls. They remind me of these little Halloween lamps. You light a candle, and then place the shade over top, with pictures cut out of it, and they reflect on the walls. Me and my brother used to sit in a tent in our back yard every Halloween with that thing on. And every year he'd try to scare the shit out of me" Charlie explained, not realizing how he was rambling on as his dazed eyes shifted with the lights. Sayid smiled at the image created by his description. "What dose it remind you of?" Charlie asked, snapping out of the dream land. Sayid thought for a moment. "When I was a solider, the room that I slept in use to be a cell. It had bars on the windows, even to the hall way. So at night, they'd leave lines on the floor from the light outside, and I could see the shadow of every one who passed" he explains. He could see the hall clearly in his mind, even hear the foot steps. "What about you Jack?" Charlie asked, turning too the two up ahead who'd been silent the whole time. "Huh?" Jack asked , clueless, as he looked back over his shoulder. "What dose the cave remind you of?" he explained. "A very dark, very small and airless closet with a locked door. The kind with those little panels, so when kids play hide and steak you could watch the other person while they look for you" Jack began, at first he had meant to keep it simple. And expression of his claustrophobia. But it sparked a memory in him two, and something urged him to continue. "Of course, they'd always find you because after a while you'd start laughing." he added quickly. "Yeah, well who ever were playing with, I sure as hell hope we don't get caught" Michael confirmed, bringing the conversation to a screeching halt. But the thought of being trapped in a closet, or the thought of a closet alone brought a vison back from Jack's dream. The static man with the paper. An image he hadn't thought about since he was ten. And the image, till this day, made him want to run to his mommy. It was at that moment then a faint buzz sounded from the flash light in his hand before it flickered and fadded out. "The batteries are dead, I have a few sparse" Sayid explained, and began digging in his bag. The others stopped, waiting for the light to be fixed. Jack gave him the flash light, unable to focus properly. The thought the issue with his vision was from the heat, but now he was begging to worry it was something else. He shut his eyes, squeezing the bridge of his nose between pointer and thumb to release some of the tension. But when they opened again, he only felt dizzy. Something moved in the distance, witch caught his surprise. "Woo" he muttered out loud as he jumped back agenst the wall, startled. "What?" Sayid questioned, looking up from the light. "Oh, nothing. One of you just moved. My eyes are kind of watering, so it made me jump" Jack explained in a reasonable logical manner....or so he thought. "I didn't move" Michael confirmed. "Me neither" Charlie added, both looking a little paranoid. "Don't worry about it. Probably just the light playing tricks or something" Jack assured them, waving the problem away. Sayid handed him the light and they continued on.

"So exactly how many are there?" Boone questioned, walking side by side with the stranger who'd helped him after he almost tumbled off the cliff the afternoon before. "Ten" the man confirmed. He had only spoken in a pattern of short word answers, and didn't bother to explain anything unless Boone pressured him two. "How about on your side?" he asked, curiously. "40 something" Boone answered, "guess we got the better end of the deal." the man was silent as he walked ahead a little. "So were you on the plane with any one...what was it again?" Boone questioned, he'd known the man for less than a few hours and already he'd forgotten his name. "Thomas" the man confirmed, "and no. I was alone" he answered with a hint of remorse. Boone couldn't help but wonder why this man was so miserable. But then again, life on the beach was safe, and homey and pretty much a decent place to live. At times it seemed even better than home. Who knows how the conditions were on the other side of the mountain, where his new companion was leaving him. "What about the rest of the survivors?" he asked, hoping he could help reunite atleast some one. "Most of them where alone on the plain two, except Henry" Thomas explained. "Who was he with?" Boone questioned. No one he knew of on this island had ever spoken of a Henry, but in all the months spent there he still hadn't had a decent conversation with every one. "His wife, Rose" Thomas answered, an estranged sadness with his tone. Rose. That sparked the memory. "That's great!" Boone exclaimed, over-joyed with being able to unite someone after all. "What?" Thomas questioned in a little shock, not understanding how a man who lost his wife was something to celebrate. "She's alive. Rose, she's back on the island!" Boone explained excitedly. "No way! Are you sure?" Thomas questioned, a grin crossing his face. "Positive. She has the wedding wring and every thing!" Boone assured. They both laughed a little, sharing the enthralling feel of bringing two people back together. "Wow..I guess there is hope on this island after all" Thomas shrugged poetical. "I guess so" Boone agreed. The excitement faded down as they continued to walk silently.

Sun was kneeling in the sand as she watered the little garden that surrounded her tent. The sun shined brightly as she piddle with the leaves, humming to herself. "Whatcha doing?" Walt questioned, standing behind her, trusty side kick at his side. "Gardening" She explained, thinking for a moment to remember the term. Her English was good for the most part, but there were still a many words she hadn't learned. "I know that, but why are you doing it?"he clarified curiously. She considered her answer for a moment. "Its calming. Helps me relax" She explained musingly as she fiddled. "From what?" he questioned, sitting down on one of the empty pots that had ben turned upside down. She thought for a moment. Obviously, the truth would not withstand. Can't drop your marital issues on a ten year old, he's heard enough about that. She opened her mouth, ready to go with what ever came out but he interrupted. "Where's Jin?" he asked. She could see he was peeking inside the tent. "He's at the other end of the beach...fishing" she explained, makeing it seem as normal as anything. "Did you two had a fight last night?" he asked curiously, turning back to her. She hesitated once again. "...yes" she answered shortly. "Why?" was the next question. "We just got tired of each other, I suppose. Being here on the island made us realize that we wanted different things." She explained, leaving out every detail she could. "Oh, I see. Dose that mean your like...single, now?" he asked curiously. The question caught Sun a little off gard. "I suppose...yes" she answered. "That's cool" he murmured, kicking the sand. "Maybe you and my dad could date" he suggested out of no where. This really caught her by surprise. So much she almost choked on the air. "Well, I would got that far..." She explained, trying to get the idea out of his head before he went any farther. "Yeah, I thought you'd say that" he shrugged, hands tucked in the pockets of his cargo shorts. "Well, I'm gonna go play catch. Come on, Vincent" he said, and with that the two headed off. Sun shook her head with wonder as she went back to tending her plants. _Date your father? What kind of an idea is that? _She thought, laughing to herself. Unaware that the same thoughtful suggestion would be teasing at her for a long time.

Claire was had moved out of the sun to the shade of the shadow cast by the plane as she leaned back agenst it. Today, was hot. That's all she could make of it. The fact that she was going to be spending it without Charlie made it seem like a dream. Not a good one, mind you. But a daze. She floated around, not recalling a single moment. She was pulled out of this dreamy state when Ben curled up in her lap without warning, snuggling his head agenst her chest. He'd grown out of snuggling a while back or so she thought. "Hey, sweetie. You ok?" she questioned, smoothing her hand over his thin, fluffy hair. "Where's Charlie?" he asked sleepily, voice muffled agenst her shirt. "He's looking for Shannon, with the rest of the guys. He'll be back soon" she assured him with a smile. He gave a little disappointed sigh, and snuggled in closer, falling asleep in his mother's lap for the first time in months. Claire had missed the affectionate feel of being able to cradle him, but gave in. After all, he couldn't sleep with mom for ever. But if he wanted to do it now, she couldn't help but embrace him. She sat, brushing his hair gently through her fingers, wondering how much longer it would be before Charlie would come back and hold her the same way.

"Did you just here that?" Jack asked, eyes darting frantically. "Here what?" Michael questioned, giving him a concerned look. Jack shook his head, trying to knock the since back in. But all it did was fling sweat beads. "Nothing" he sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose. "You feeling ok, man?" Michael questioned in a worried tone. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine" Jack assured with a nod, fallowed by a raspy sigh as he blinked his eyes open once again. But it was a lie. He'd been seeing moving shadows, and hearing scratch cackles since they'd started walking. And the darkness that surrounded them outside the circle of the flash lights didn't make it any easier. Right now he'd kill to be back on the beach, with the bright sun makeing every thing clear. Instead of in this stuffy, cramped, humid, miserable little tunnel that was closing in around him. He couldn't wait until they reached the water. And with that thought, ta da! It was there. One by one, they eased their way into the water, which was almost room temperature. But still a relief from the thick steamy air. Charlie's fingers dragged along the bumpy walls as he walked, trailing a hand beside him. The other loosely holding out his flash light. A yawn escaped his lips, his exhaustion sinking in. Sayid bit the thin light between his teeth as he walked, using both hands to pull his mattered black curls back in a pony tail as best he could. Michael observed Jack out of the corner of his eye. Watching his eyes flicker around in a paranoid manner. This was not healthy behavior, exspeicaly for the doctor. Sayid was now leading the way, Jack close behind. Michael trailed back to where Charlie still wondered at his own pace, taking in the scenery. "Hey, man. You think Jack's ok?" Michael questioned in a raspy whisper, leaning in so the others ahead wouldn't hear. Charlie looked over, taking a look at him. He hadn't been paying attention before. But now it was clear that something had gotten into him from the paranoid looks, excessive breathing and the hand that he hid under the watter, that was twitching so fast it made its own rings. "I think he's makeing heroin withdraws look like a walk in the park" Charlie whispered in return. Michael went to say something else, but Jack interrupted. "What are you girls whispering about back there?" Jack called with a clumsy, breathless laugh as he looked back over his shoulder. "Just complimenting the view" Charlie joked sarcastically. "No offense, Charlie, but sometimes...if you weren't with Claire...I'd swear you were gay" Jack teased, pausing between every couple of words to take in more air. "Uh...none taken" Charlie assured, eyeing him with concern. It was only moments before Jack's behavior turned grim as he stumbled forward. At first, it looked like he had tripped, after all he'd been walking like a drunk for the past hour, it was a wonder he could keep his balance. But as he slid under the dusty green water, and didn't come back up, that the panic sat in. Sayid turned quickly in an parade of splashes, moving with the others to pull him out of the water. Yellow-tented beads dripped from his head as they pulled him up. His unconscious head bowled, letting the moister leak off it and spill back into the pool it came from. The white shirt now soaked, and clinging to his limp, lifeless body. They leaned him back agenst the wall, his arms flung over Sayid's shoulder on left and Michael on the right. Charlie stood close by, with extra support. His head rolled back agenst the shiny rocks. His flash light bobbed in the water. "You guys go ahead" Michael suggested, shifting under the wight of Jacks still arm. "Are you sure?" Sayid asked, looking over at him. "Yeah. Go on, I'll stay here with him" he assured urgently. Sayid nodded in agreement and lifted the motionless arm over his head, sliding out from under it. Charlie eases him over so that Michael could support all his wight with only the none arm lugged over his shoulder before moving up with Sayid. The two continued their journey.

Boone and Thomas pushed through the last of the trees, meeting up with the small circle of faces crowded around in the dusty fog on the other side of the mountains. Fadded articles of clothing hung from cloths lines that criss-crossed the barrier trees, a few shanties sat up agenst the wall of the mountain serving as a shelter for the small group of curious looks that greeted him. "Group, this is Boone. He's a survivor from the other edge of the island" Thomas announced. Boone couldn't help but feel uncomfortable under the prying gazes. His eyes trailed across each new, unfamiliar face until they feel upon one witch disturbed him the most. A girl about his age lieing on a cot, her head slightly turned in his direction. Her eyes were closed, the lids the color of bruises. Her skin was a translucent white, every pour clearly defined like grey centers in her pasty skin. The elbows of her arm and finger tips held the same darkened tint as her eye lids, and her lips were a crispy shade of white. Her stringy brown hair trailed in a mildly tangled trail down her back. A dusty green blanket dropped across the rest of her body. Thomas watched Boone's expression as he stared on at the poor girl with a horrified stare. Jaw-dropped and all. "What happened to her?" he asked in a whisper, unable to remove his eyes. "We don't know. She just got really sick. We don't know what's wrong with her" Thomas explained mournfully. "We have a doctor back at the caves" Boone explained hurriedly, quickly snapping his attention to Thomas. "Lets go" he exclaimed. Quickly, the two moved over to the spot where she laid. They rolled her limp, lifelessly body onto her back and tucked the blanket around the cot. By lifting it of the x-shaped bars of wood, they could carry it like a scratcher. They piled the need items around her for the journey back to the island. Boone gathered up some food, shoving it into the book bag Thomas had tossed him. "Hey, you Henry?" he asked, looking up at the middle aged man sitting before him. The man nodded, looking a little confused. "Well come on, your going with us" he instructed, swinging the bag onto his back. "Why?" the man asked with bewilderment. "Because, your wife's waiting for you"

Sowyer was moving quick, dodging every tree in his path. The feeling was enthralling. His heart pounded as he railed between the trees. He was winning and he new it. He couldn't even here Kate's feet pounding in the distance behind him. He'd gotten a head start and them WHAM! Lost her right behind him. Then again, he'd barley nudged her down. And he had herd her behind him when they chase had began. He slowly down until his feet both lay flat on the dirt, and looked around. No sign of Kate anywhere. A little worry came over him as he wondered where she might of disappeared off to. He spun in an unaimed circle, looking all around to make sure she wasn't hiding in any corners. And just as his back was turned, she made her move. Nudging into him and giving him a hard shove into the leaves before railing down the path he'd been head. He tumbling forward, feet flying over his head at least three times as he rolled down the leave-covered hill until finly his back slammed onto the hard ground. His head fell back hard agenst the firm soil and he squinted agenst the sudden tension that ran through his head. "God, damn it freckles" he cursed to himself, feeling the back of his skull for the bruise it had undoubtably made as he sat up. Kate laughed with pride as she pounded through the trees, but stopped when she spotted Boone, Accompanied by two strangers carrying a large object slowly through the trees. The surprise gave a shock to her head that caused her to lose her footing, and she slid down into the leafy mud before them. "Kate!" Boone called with sunrise, quickly lowering his end of the stretched and running to her aid. She replied with only a grumble as he helped her up. She dusted the dirt of the palms of her hands. Then, she realized it wasn't her cloths she was wearing and rubbed the rest off on her shirt. "What are you doing out here?" he questioned curiously, catching her attention. She looked over the two strangers who stared back in confusion, and the girl in the stretcher which was lieing on the ground. "I could ask you the same thing" she said a little skeptically, blowing a lose strand out of her face. "Oh, right. This is Thomas and Henry, Roses husband. They survivors from the plain crash. They'd been living on the other side of the mountain this whole time" he explained brightly, the whole situation still amazed him. "Oh great. If life here hasn't gotten any more historical, now we've got manifest destiny on our hands" Sowyer chimed in with a bitter grumble, rubbing the back of his head as he emerged from the trees. "Oh, and nice try freckles" he added sarchasticly. Kate turned to him for only moments before turning back and beating feat. "Shit!" Sowyer cursed freely, flying after her. The three watched in confusion as the two railed off into the trees. "Why are they running?" Thomas questioned. "I have no idea" Boone assured him.

"Hey man" Michael said softly, talking to Jack as his eyes flickered open. "What happened?" he asked sleepily, leaning back agenst the rock. "You passed out, man" Michael explained plainly, rubbing his own shoulder. Jack sighed, and looked around. He didn't remember passing out, or much before that. Slowly it came back to him. "Where's Sayid and Charlie?" he asked, realizing that they had disappeared. "I told them to go ahead" Michael answered shortly. Jack let his eye lids slide shut. The heat had returned with his consciousness, and the water did nothing to sooth him now. He wouldn't be surprised if it started to boil. His head was swarming and he felt like he could drop all over again. And Michael must have sceen it in his face because he gave him a comforting pat on the back along with a "hang in there." Jack smiled faintly to show he was managing. That's when the laugh sounded again._ You hoped after passing out your mind would go back to normal, but apparently you were wrong. _He thought to himself. "Did you here that?" he was surprised to here Michael ask. _Woo, maybe your not crazy_. "Yeah I heard it" he answered hoarsely. Their eyes shifted around as the screechy laughter echoed through the walls around them. The sound made the water shake and the walls rumble, witch made Jacks skull crack, or atleast, that's how it felt. His eyes rolled shut. "Stay with me, man" Michael ordered worriedly. Jack forced himself to open them again. And the vision infront of him was rearing sideways. The image of TV static man standing in the shadow over in the corner across from him. "Oh god..." he sniffed, not crying, just miserable. "What?" Michael asked with concern. He watched in confusion, and a little fright as Jack held a hand across his head, mumbling softly to himself. "Jack, listen to me. Stay with me. Jack" he called, keeping calm ass he held Jacks face between his hands, forcing the man to look up at him. Jack squeezed his eyes shut, and opened them again. It was gone. He panted with relief, leaning his head back agenst the rock and slowly turning it to the side. BAM! There it was again, stareing back at him with its eyeless face, the scratching laughter colliding with the harsh sound that a static tv would make. He was surprised when Michael flinched, not at the image, but at its sound. "We gotta get out of here" Michael suggested in a panic. He began to move forward, makeing aloud plash as he went. "No!" Jack called, quickly going to grab his arm. He only managed to catch a hold of the sleeve of his shirt, but still managed to grip onto it and pull the man back. "I'm not leaving" Jack assured him, his voice estranged and tired. It sounded as his through were raw and his vocal chords hand been de-tuned. For a moment, Michael looked ready to argue, but quickly gave in. "Why?" He questioned. "Because, it'll help us" Jack assured him. "Look, man. I don't know what your on, but what ever makeing that noise is not our tour guide!" Michael confirmed, point a finger at the direction they had came down the cave. "Shh" Jack instructed quickly, eyes moving around the room. "I don't here it-" Michael tried to explain, but was only shushed again. "Sayid...?" they heard a faint voice ask weakly. It was Shannon, no doubt. "Sayid!" She screamed again, her voice echoing all around them. "SOMEBODY HELP!" She bellowed through the walls. "My god..." was all Michael could say.

"Aw, DAMN IT!" Sowyer hollered angrily as he hugged the tree, stareing at the prideful Kate, who had just barely beat him. "Don't be such a sour loser" She teased, taking the opportunity to gloat to full advantage. She could enjoy nothing more then makeing him feel low, after all it was a lowly trick to begin with. Even if it was a load of fun. For a moment she realized just how much she'd enjoyed the little jungle tag game. Quickly, she shook it out of her head. He didn't respond, just stared back at her angrily. Oh, don't give me that look" she sighed, crossing her arms. "You deserved it" she added, with no remorse. "Don't mean you got to brag about it" he snapped, looking up at her as he rest his knuckles on his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Oh, you mean like this...?" she asked teasingly, and then began doing her little victory dance. Wiggling her hips as she moved in a circle. "I beat you a beat you!" She teased in a sing-song voice, breaking down into a cabbage patch. The whole performance was relatively adorable. And he found himself smiling as he watched her, leaning agenst the tree. "Vary funny" he noted sarcastically. She stopped short when she spotted Boone and the others walking out from the woods. He was walking forward, holding the handles of the stretched on his shoulders. Sowyer, turned quickly and moved out of his way. "Where's Jack?" He asked urgently, not longer worried about what they were doing. "Haven't sceen him. Just got back" Kate explained with a shrug. "Stay here, you guys. I'll go find him" Boone instructed, turning back to the others after lowering the stretcher. They made no attempt to argue, and he hurried off. The four stared at each other awkwardly, not knowing what to think. The silence was unbearable. "Alright, what the hell is going on here?" Sowyer questioned, having no choice but to break it.

"Here it is" Sayid explained, gesturing towards the large black crevasse in the wall of the cave. "And you saw something moving in there right?" Charlie questioned, makeing sure. "Definitely" Sayid confirmed. Charlie took in a deep breath and let it out as he stared into the cave, and shifted his book bag. "Well then, after you" he grinned, makeing a gesture towards the opening. Sayid smile at the joke and headed in. Both of Charlie's hands trailed along the walls, the flash light tucked in his pocket. The walls were slimy and moist, water had clearly been splashed around in there. "So what exactly did you see?" Charlie questioned, taking the place in. "A shadow" Sayid answered shortly, not knowing how else to describe it. "Like a humane shadow?" Charlie questioned, trying to get the exact idea. "I sure hope so" Sayid answered. "Well...what else could it have been?" Charlie asked skeptically with a little shrug. "Anything. Bats, crocodiles....polar bears" Sayid answered. "Thanks. Very reassuring" Charlie muttered sarcastically. Sayid smiled. If anyone could lighten a situation, it was Charlie. And he did it without effort. But he had another unfortunate dependancy up his sleeve: panic. Witch he went railing into at the slightest shutter of the walls under his finger tips when the cave shook. It was from a high pitched, screeching sound. "Holly shit, what is that?" he yelled freely, his arms tense as they pushed agenst the narrow walls of the cave. "Shh!" Sayid motioned with his finger. "What do you mean "Shh!" if anything bringing these walls down its that!" Charlie continued stressfully. The sweat poured down his head. "Charlie!" Sayid snapped, grabbing a hold of his shoulders. "Just stop" He added, stareing him dead in the eye. Charlie went silent, but still looked spooked. "Sayid...?" A voice called echoed from no where. He looked over quickly, a part of him longing to see her standing right behind him. But of course, there was no Shannon in sight. "That's here, isn't it?" Charlie asked, not expecting an answer. "SAYID!" She called again, a lout louder. Her voice was railing over the high pitched hum of what ever was makeing the walls quake around them. "Charlie, where is she?" Sayid questioned, turning back to him. "How the hell should I know?!" Charlie responded bluntly. "SOMEBODY HELP!" Shannon's voice cracked around them. "CHARLIE! Look at you paper! The song is a map, remember? Now tell me where she is!" Sayid demanded, shaking him violently. The memory came flooding back to him. _Like a tunnel that you fallow to a tunnel of its own, down a hallow to a cavern where the sun has never shown..._"There!" He pointed a confident finger across Sayid's shoulder. Quickly the two began running through the water best they could. The splashes whaled as they smacked hard agenst the walls.

"Claire!" Boone called, running up to her at fool speed. She looked up, surprised to see him. "Where's Jack?" he asked hurriedly. "He went to the caves-" She began to explained. "What? Why?" He continued, not allowing her to explained. "He went to find Shannon..." She explained, bowing her head, "with the rest of the guys." Boone's eyes went wide. "DAMMIT!" he cursed angrily, pounding both fist agenst the wall of a tent. The plastic just gave a lazy flap and glided back into place. "Is some one hurt?" She questioned, stareing at him from behind. "Yeah. I found other servers, they've been living on the other side of the cave. One of them is sick" He explained.

"Shh" Sayid whispered, holding at his arm. Charlie stopped to a halt, fallowing his gaze to the spot where the cave lead. It was alike a shock.. There was a whole room of its own. Fish netting ran along the walls around what looked like a small army base. There were brown wooden table over flowing with paper, tall green machines that looked like some kind of light or sound board. And agenst a wooden barrier was Shannon. A thick rope circled in criss crosses over her, and tears poured down her eyes. "What do you want with me!?" She was sobbing, screaming across the room at a figure unseen by the two. "Maybe we should let her go..." A women with a clearly distinct french accent suggested, unseen as well although it was clear enough who it was. "And what? Let her go back and tell them all!" The opposing voice protested forcefully. "I won't tell anyone, I swear. Just please let me go" Shannon broke in, a fresh glaze of tears streaking down her checks. A knife flew from the corner and spun rapidly through the air until it plunged into the wall only inches from her face. Her eyes squeezed shut, then popped back open in shock. "Shannon!" Sayid called out without thinking. Suddenly, all eyes where on them. The two stopped in there gaze like a dear in headlights as Ethan and Danielle stood infront of them. "Go!" Ethan called, and the two ran forward full force. Charlie's instinct was telling him to run, but his body wouldn't move. Danielle tackled him, with knife in hand. He closed his eyes tight, preparing to be stabbed as there was nothing he could do to stop her. His eyes opened with a haze of confusion when he felt nothing. "help him" Danielle whispered, so only he could hear as she sat up. He looked at her, still confused, then over at Sayid who had been tackled to the ground and was now strugling with Ethan as a knife stood only inches from his face. Danielle shoved her knife in his hand, and gave him a push in the right direction. He snapped out of confusion as he quickly went to his friends aid. Shannon watched all this in horror as she squirmed beneath the ties. "Help me!" She screamed to no one imparticular, fearing that her only rescuers were in grave danger. Danielle hurried over and cut the ropes. Shannon dropped to the ground panting, her skin still red from where they had cut into her. When she looked back up Danielle had disappeared from her side. Her focus turned back to the fight. Ethan was up again, and slammed Charlie into the wall of the cave, strugling to take the knife out of his grip. Sayid lay on the ground, holding his leg in pain. It was bleeding badly, and it appeared he couldn't move. Ethan dug his nails into the skin of Charlie's hand, doing anything to loosen his grip. The sound of bone cracking echoed through the cave as Ethan crushed his hand, as he had done with Claire's. the knife dropped from his grip, as Charlie let out a squeak. No other sound able to escape his throat. Ethan smirked as he reached for his knife. But in moments, Ethan was lieing on his back, holding the wound on his chest. Danielle kneeling over him. The knife had ben stabbed into his back, and pushed all the way through, right between the rib cage. His shirt was slowly being engulfed by thick black blood, witch covered his hands and the knife held not to high above it. His body quaked as he went into shock, eyes rolled back into his head. It was only moments before he was gone entirely. The group sat around, panting traumatically. Shannon quickly hurried to her feet, makeing the short distance over to Charlie and Sayid before dropping back to her knees. "Are you alright?" Sayid questioned with concern as he rest his hands on her shoulders. She nodded, to choked up to speak. She berried herself in his arms and cried freely with relief. Charlie pulled himself off the ground, rubbing the back of his head witch had been knocked agenst the wall. Looking any where but where the two were rejoicing in each others embrace, he became re-aware of all the large electronics in the room. "What the bloody hell is all this?" he questioned, turning his direction to Danielle. "A communication system" Danielle explained guiltily. "What kind of a communication system?" Sayid chimed in, suddenly paying attention. She sighed shamefully, and began. "I built it years ago. I finally found a way to contact the outer source, witch was when I left the distress signal that you heard. The only problem was before it could reach any farther than the ocean, Ethan came. He didn't want to leave the island, and he didn't want any one else to come and get him. So he took my son, and used him as a hostage agenst me. He'd kept him locked in this room after canceling my signal for ten years...." She broke into tears and her voiced cracked. "When you all came, he feared you may intrude with his stay. So he made plans to kill you." She added, drying her eyes with the back of her hand. "How did he plan to kill 46 people?" Shannon questioned, looking up from her spot on the ground. "One by one. The logical idea would go after the weak ones first..." she continued. "Claire.." Charlie mused throughly, now understanding her attack. "It was her or my son. All of you, or my son" she explained. "But Seeing you two together...the way she was with her child. I couldn't do it. So I did the only thing I could do..." she went silent again. "You failed porously, knowing we'd lock you away" Sayid concluded. She nodded in response. His eye trailed away from her over to the complicated machine. "Dose it still work?" He questioned hopefully. "Not at the moment...but your good with mechanics" she finished for him.

"How long has she been like this?" Sun questioned, looking up at one of the strange new men as she held a clump of plant in her palm. "Over a month" Thomas explained. Claire hadn't spoken a word to him, even when she noticed he was there. He looked so different now, at first she didn't recognize him. Until he spotted her, then it became clear. She hatted the look in his eyes more than anything in the world, it could be no one else. It was a look she had once fell in love with. Now she sat beside him as they looked over the sick girls motionless body and she wondered what had been going through her head. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Rose and Henry over at the rocks, hugging each other tight. A blissful smile across her face as they rocked in each others arms. She couldn't help but smile at the heart warming sight, but at the same time it made her sad. She was worried about Charlie now. None of them had returned and nightfall was approaching fast.

"You alright?" Shannon asked, turning her gaze to Charlie, who sat beside her, both with their backs agenst the wall. "Yeah" he nodded, his voice raspy and distant. His fingers lay over the bridge of his nose as he pinched down right, trying to relieve some of the tension form his throbbing head. A smile came across her face that made him look at her with confusion. "I know why the brought you along" she bragged thoughtfully. "Oh?" he questioned, not really know himself. "Yep. Who else on this rock would know Dusty Springfield?" she explained, smiling wistfully. He smiled back, and even laughed a little. _Hey look, no more head ach. _"Its working!" Sayid announced to the general audience, witch quickly caught their attention. "Its working!" He exclaimed again, laughing with joy as he clutched the headphones to his ear. "Hello? This is a passenger from flight 180....yes, the crashed plane. We need rescue, fast" He explained. The others moved in close, listening on edge as he waited for response. "Yes, thank you! Thank you!" he exclaimed. Tears of joy rolled down his cheeks as he sat the head phones down. "Were going home" he confirmed, smiling at those around him. "AH!" Shannon squalled with joy, throwing her arms around Charlie's neck. "Well, what are we waiting for. Lets get back and tell the others" Charlie suggested, although his vocal chords were being crushed. They lifted themselves off the ground and began makeing their way back.

"My god, where are they?" Boone muttered angrily, sitting on the long just outside the jungle. "They'll be back" Claire assured him. It was the first time she'd spoken in the last hour. She'd been sitting in that same spot so quietly he'd forgotten she was there. "You don't know that" he protested sadly. "Yes, I do" she assured thoughtfully. "How?" he questioned skeptically, his voice creaking with the weight of all his built up emotion. "Because. I just do" she explained simply. "Claire?" a voice said from behind, that sent a shiver down her spine. She looked up to see the person she already knew was there. She didn't speak back, just simply waited for his response. "Can we talk please?" he asked innocently, looking sympathetic. It was just pathetic, no 'symp' included. He let here eyes trail to the empty space on her other side, and then back up to him. Boone got the idea that this conversation called for privacy, and took it on his own accord to leave. Thomas sat down beside her reluctantly, keeping a good distance incase she lashed out on him. "So where is he?" Thomas asked, cutting straight to the point. "Ben, is in the tent sleeping" she explained, giving strong infuses to his name. "That's not who I was talking about" he corrected, without even looking at her. Her eyes narrowed at him with a look of despise. "Oh, I see. So your not worried about the kid that your sperm created?" she questioned accusing. "Of course I am, Claire. But I'm more worried about you" he response, finally turning his head. "No your not! Your worried about Charlie, which is "him" by the way." she snapped back. It pushed her even more when he began chuckling to himself as he shook his head. "You haven't changed..." he said through his laughter, witch stopped short when the cold slap of a tiny but fierce hand whipped across his face. "Neither have you" reapplied bitterly, and walked back to her tent.

She had made it half way there when she harried the group emerging from the trees. "Charlie!" she called, turning to him with a smile. he rushed over when he saw her, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground in a bear hug before giving her a firm kiss on the mouth. "Well, you seem happy about somet-" She began to note. "Were going home!" He interrupted with a grin that spread from ear to ear. "What?" she questioned, eyes wide with disbelief. "WERE GOING HOME!" Jack hollered at the top of his lungs, announcing it again, loud enough so the whole island could hear. Chatter began to break out amongst the different groups as they merged from their tents. "Oh my god!" Claire squealed with excitement, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Shannon!" Boone called, makeing a leap for his sister. He caught her by surprise, giving her a great big hug around the shoulders. "Hey, bone head" she greeted with amusement, hugging him back. "Jack, theres a girl I found from the other side of the cave. She's sick" Boone explained from over Shannon shoulder. Jack nodded, and headed off after her. "Oh god, I was so worried you wouldn't come back" Shannon mused, still squeezing her arms around her brothers shoulders. "I know, me two" he explained with a little laugh. "So where is he?" he questioned, pulling away. "Who?" she asked, not having a clue what he was talking about. "Your boyfriend" Boone teased. Her eyes trailed over to where Sayid stood, being tackled by Hurly who was hugging every one along his path with excitement. A smile warmed on her face as she watched him, without even realizing it. "Go to him" Boone told her, catching her gaze. She snapped out of it after he spoke. "He's not my boyfriend" she assured Boone, a little late as she blushed. "I know. Go anyways" He insisted.

"So who is she?" Jack asked, looking at the women who Sun had been aiding with her organic plants. "I don't know. Didn't ask for a name" Kate answered, kneeling beside him. "So where did you go last night?" he questioned, out of no where. "I'm sorry?" she asked, pretending not to understand. "I know you left Kate, and I know he fallowed you" Jack said accusingly. _Her eyes lowered in shame. I should of known I couldn't hide anything from you. _"Kate, don't look so worried. I know, people get angry and need some space. I'm human you know" he grinned. A wave of relief brushed over her. _He dosent know, thank god! _"Are you?" she asked sweetly, looking deep into his eyes. _How could he be this wonderful? So sweet and understanding and beautiful....god, Kate what did you do? _But he just smiled back, leaning in to kiss her.

"So where are you going?" Michael asked, standing behind Sun. "I don't understand" she responded, looking back up. "When we get off the plane, where are you going?" he clarified. "I don't know. America, I suppose Although...I have no where to stay..." she explained plainly as she rose to her feet. "You do now" he said with a disarming smile that made her blush. "You know what your son asked me this morning?" she asked, knowing full well that he didn't. "No, what did he say?" Michael asked with interest. "He asked me if you and I would ever date" She answered with amusement. "Maybe we will..." Michael smiled suggestively, and that was all that needed to be said.

"Sayid?" Shannon said softly from the opening of his tent. "Yes?" he asked, as he rose back to his feet from where he had been kneeling before an open duffle bag. "I wanted to thank you for saving my life....again" She said softly with an appreciative, and strangely nervous air. "My pleasure" he replied with a smile. They stood very close together. So close that the tension in his eyes was intimidating. "Well, I guess that's all I had to say" she muttered so that he could barely here her before turning to make her retreat. "Shannon!" Sayid called from behind her. She turned back hesitantly. "I wanted to thank you" he smiled, catching her eyes in his gaze. "For....?" She asked in confusion, looking from side to side. He took a few steps forward, closing the space between them. "For solving my life" he replied in a whisper before leaning in to kiss her.

Claire and Charlie sat in their tent, preparing for the next morning when the rescue plain would arrive. "Were going to LA" Charlie was explaining to Ben, who sat on his knee. "Your gonna see all kinds of crazy people there like prostitutes and gays and lesbians and cross dressers....and the weirdest of all-" he was saying with a jockeying grin, talking more for his wife's amusement then to the interest of Ben, who had no idea what any of those things were. "I think he's already sceen that and called it daddy" She teased, glancing up at him from the suitcase. "Well I was going to say Arnold schwarzenegger the but I guess I do top him pretty good" Charlie joked with no shame. Claire laughed, and threw a balled up shirt at him playfully. "Hey, your suppose to be packing, not throwing" Charlie teased, pointing with the shirt. She shook her head and gave him a kiss in the cheek.

After they all packed, the group gathered around the fire for one last time. "I'm proposing a toast. To finding friends, in the least expected places" Jack announced, holding up an cup of water. "To new adventure" Kate added from his side. "To starting a family" Claire chimed in, beaming over at Charlie who stood to her left. "To going home with more than you came with" he grinned jokenly, indicating to the lovely trophy wife and son plus two in her stomach that he'd bee lugging back to his little place in LA if it still existed. A few laughs fallowed. "To saving a life" Sayid took up the next spot, glancing over at Shannon, who stood at his side. "To becoming something useful" She beamed to herself. "To a chance to be brave" Boone tipped his glace. "To hunting!" Locke said simple. A few laughs fallowed. "To eating what Locke hunts" Hurly added. Even more laughs erupted. "To makeing over a thousand dollars worth of crap" Sowyer grinned shamelessly, as atleast seven bags hung from him. "To being a father" Michael cheered, patting his sun on the head. "To having a dad" Walt replied, smiling up at him. "To a second chance" Sun said, taking up her turn. Jin was the last to speak, a small phrase of Korean. The group waited for Sun to Translate. "He says 'To Fate " she explained musingly. "To Fate" The group echoed, all holding their glaces up at once before taking a sip.

The End

Yes, it is the end, but don't fear or even worse, kill me. Because there will be a sequel that starts off right where this one left and it'll be up by the end of the week. Thank you for reading.


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